Sunset Dreams
by Broken Angel01
Summary: News of a strange occurrence in Twilight Town has Sora and Roxas once again rushing back to the place where it all began, but what happens when what they find isn't what they were looking for?
1. Dark Mist

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and everything else they've managed (or will manage) to stick into Kingdom Hearts!

**A/N: I'm back finally, and as you can see I am here with that promised Kingdom Hearts story! Now, for those of you who may not know, this story is actually a third installment to a group of Kingdom Hearts fics that I've been writing. It is the sequel to _The Way to the Heart _and_ The Eyes of Twilight. _You don't have to necessarily read the other two stories to enjoy this fic, but if you would like to know how Roxas got reunited with the Twilight Town gang, or you want to know what this last visit to Twilight Town they keep talking about is referring to, then I highly suggest that you _do_ read them. They are not long and you'll be able to finish them easily in a decent amount of time.**

**Now, with the release of _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days_, I am currently rewriting the first two stories in this series to be more in line with the canon of the DS game. Therefore, if you've finished _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, _I would suggest you also read the updated versions of my stories because they will fit a little better with this one than the originals. Now, I kind of lied, there will be _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _spoilers in this fic, so if you have not played the game yet and are really sticky about not wanting to know anything ahead of time (like me) then I would suggest you wait to read this story until you are done the game. But, that being said, there won't be any major spoilers as the past isn't as important in this fic as it was for the others. This one focuses more on the future than the past. There will be quotes from _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _in this story, but I won't be revealing any mega plot spoilers. If anything, I'll only be making you even more curious and excited to play the new DS game! Also, there may be quotes from _Kingdom Hearts II_ and _Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories_ in this fic as well.  
**

**This installment takes place right after they receive the King's letter.  
**

Sunset Dreams

_"If you have a dream, don't wait. Act." (Axel: Kingdom Hearts II)  
_

Chapter 1: Dark Mist

_Sora_

_Destiny Islands  
_

Standing silently in the light of the setting sun, Kairi and Riku hovering on either side of him, Sora gaped at the letter in his hands, almost unable to believe what he was reading. A part of him felt sure he was merely dreaming, and a bizarre dream at that, but the unmistakable mark of the King's seal upon the letter Kairi had pulled out of the ocean earlier proved otherwise, though it did not make him feel any less amazed.

It was something he had been waiting for, though he had never admitted such a thing to Kairi or Riku, though Roxas had discovered his feelings easily enough, and now that the moment had finally come, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

_Kingdom Hearts. There's just no way around it. It all comes back to the strength of the heart..._

Without warning, Sora suddenly felt a gentle tugging at his heart, and a moment later Roxas materialized next to him, just behind his left shoulder, forcing him to step quickly away from the fallen tree he had been lounging against while talking to Riku only a moment ago.

He felt, rather than saw, the golden-haired Nobody's hand come to rest lightly on his shoulder, and turning slightly he lifted his head to gaze directly into his other half's deep blue eyes.

Studying him closely, Roxas said quietly, "What are you going to do?"

It was a good question; one Sora did not have an answer for.

Only a week ago, the two of them, along with Kairi, Riku, Naminé, Goofy, and Donald had gone to Twilight Town in an effort to reunite the golden-haired Nobody with his friends Hayner, Pence, and Olette; an undertaking that had been extremely successful, but oddly enough, since then Roxas had been strangely quiet.

More so than usual.

_The forest. It all started when we went into the forest..._

"Whatever you decide, Sora, you know we'll support you," Kairi said softly, interrupting his thoughts.

"We know you'll make the right decision," Naminé agreed, materializing suddenly next to Kairi and giving him an encouraging smile.

Uncertain of how to respond, Sora turned to glance curiously at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade standing on his right, and shrugging his shoulders, Riku said dismissively, "You know I've got your back. Whatever you think is best."

_If I wasn't so worried about Roxas..._

Letting out a soft sigh, Sora scratched the back of his head in confusion, conscious of the warm presence standing just behind him that was Roxas, and unable to look at the other side of his heart, he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his feet, thinking over the situation carefully in his head.

Though he had kept his promise and had done everything within his power not to pry, Roxas still had yet to tell him exactly what was wrong, despite the fact that whatever had happened in Twilight Town a week ago had clearly upset the golden-haired Nobody.

Since coming back to Destiny Islands, Roxas had not once mentioned the incident, or even remotely hinted at it, and as a result Sora was growing increasingly worried about his golden-haired counterpart.

He did not doubt for a minute that Roxas would tell him what was wrong eventually, when he was ready to, what worried the Keyblade Master was the possibility that by the time Roxas did get around to telling him what was going on, it would already be too late for him to do anything about it.

_Something in the forest...what could it have been?_

"Sora?" Kairi prodded, tugging gently on his hand.

That was another thing that bothered him. Roxas _still _hadn't gotten around to telling Naminé how he felt about her, due partly to the fact that they had not been to Twilight Town again since their last visit, and as a result, Sora had yet to tell Kairi about his own feelings, much to his disappointment.

_I could always go first, I guess, but I really want Roxas and Naminé to be happy. They're the ones who deserve to be happy the most..._

"Sora, are you okay?" Naminé asked hesitantly, exchanging a look with Kairi.

Sora was about to answer when he suddenly spotted Donald and Goofy racing towards their little group, Chip and Dale riding on the court wizard's shoulders.

Just before Kairi had run up with the glass bottle containing the King's letter in her hand, Sora had been arguing with Riku about whether or not they should help Donald and Goofy prepare for their return trip to Disney Castle, before of course their meaningful discussion concerning the door to the light, but as soon as Kairi had arrived on the scene, he had completely forgotten about the court wizard and the captain of the King's royal guards.

_I wonder if they've managed to prepare the Gummi Ship for their return trip yet..._

Earlier, the King had given Goofy and Donald permission to remain on Destiny Islands for a while, which Sora had been immensely grateful for, and now that the three of them had had a chance to visit, and both Donald and Goofy had had an opportunity to get to know the rest of the Destiny Island crew, it was time for them to return home.

Unfortunately.

But, as much as Sora didn't want them to, they didn't really have a choice. He was sad to see them go, but they did have other duties to perform, after all.

Although, from the looks on their faces now, neither one of them appeared ready to head home any time soon.

_I wonder what's going on. They look really serious. Whatever it is, it definitely can't be good._

"Donald, Goofy!" Kairi called out, waving them over. "We thought you two were getting ready to leave!"

"We were, but something weird has come up," Donald replied, frowning suspiciously at the two chipmunks occupying his shoulders.

Blinking in surprise, Sora threw his arms behind his head in his usual trademark pose, the King's letter still in his hand, and tilting his head to the side he said in confusion, "Chip, Dale, what are you guys doing here? You don't usually leave the vicinity of the ships all that often, at least not that I've ever seen. Well, since you started traveling with us, I mean."

"True, but this is an emergency!" Chip cried, hopping up and down anxiously on Donald's right shoulder.

"Very true," Dale agreed, nodding his head for emphasis.

"What's going on?" Roxas asked sharply, his expression becoming immediately guarded.

Both Chip and Dale stared at the golden-haired Nobody in surprise, clearly caught off guard by his harsh tone, and glancing at each other they hesitated, looking uncertain of whether or not to continue.

Placing a comforting hand on his Nobody's shoulder, Sora turned to the two chipmunks and said in what he hoped was an encouraging tone, "Go ahead. What's up?"

"Something strange is happening to Twilight Town!" Chip blurted out, eager to continue his story.

"Again!" Dale groaned, covering his face with his small hands.

Frowning slightly, Riku said slowly, "What do you mean?"

Chip opened his mouth to respond, and glancing at Dale, he said sheepishly, "Well, it's kind of hard to explain."

"Just a little," Dale added, trying unsuccessfully to smile.

Growing impatient, Donald quacked, "Will you two just spit it out already?"

Despite the commotion taking place, Sora wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to the two chipmunks and their bizarre antics. Instead, his energy was focused on catching Roxas around the shoulders as the golden-haired Nobody suddenly sagged against him.

"Roxas!" Naminé gasped, her transparent fingers reaching out to grasp the Key of Destiny's hand. "What's wrong? You look really upset!"

Taking a closer look at his golden-haired Nobody's face, Sora had to agree with Naminé, and feeling a sudden spark of fear in his heart, he said anxiously, "Roxas?"

"Hayner, Pence, Olette," Roxas murmured, his shoulders trembling slightly under the weight of Sora's hands.

_Huh?_

For a moment, Sora merely stared at his other half in confusion, trying unsuccessfully to process the golden-haired Nobody's words, but then all of a sudden it hit him. Roxas was afraid that his three friends from Twilight Town were in terrible danger.

_Is this because of what happened the last time we were in Twilight Town? I knew we shouldn't have left..._

Grabbing onto his Nobody's wrist, whose face despite being transparent had ironically managed to turn a ghostly shade of white, Sora quickly pulled the golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade down beside him on the sand, forcing him to sit, and glancing up at the two chipmunks shifting restlessly on Donald's shoulders, he said quietly, "Tell us what happened."

"Well," Chip began, crossing his small arms over his chest and placing a thoughtful finger under his chin, "we were going about business as usual on our mini Gummi Ships when suddenly this strange aura appeared around Twilight Town, almost obscuring its signal on our radar system."

"Is this the same sort of thing that happened last time?" Kairi asked curiously, sitting down next to Naminé, who had dropped to the sand on Roxas' other side. Giving her Nobody's left hand a reassuring squeeze, she tried to smile, but not surprisingly Naminé didn't return the red-haired female's weak grin.

Shaking his head, Dale said in a rush, "No, this is nothing at all like what happened last time. This time there definitely aren't two Twilight Towns, only one, and from what we can tell it looks like it's been covered in some sort of strange cloud!"

"Strange cloud?" Riku repeated, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning in confusion.

"I told them they were being ridiculous," Donald grumbled, tapping his staff impatiently against his foot.

Scratching the back of his head with the jagged edge of his shield, Goofy said slowly, "Gawrsh, Donald, do you think so? It sounds pretty serious to me."

"Tell us more," Riku demanded, moving over to stand behind Roxas. "What's this strange cloud thing you mentioned?"

Chip and Dale once again exchanged meaningful looks, and throwing his hands in the air, Dale said dramatically, "A cloud of darkness!"

"A what?" Roxas blurted out, lifting his head to give the two chipmunks a startled look.

"A cloud of darkness!" Chip repeated, clearly exasperated by the golden-haired Nobody's failure to respond in the fashion he'd been hoping for. "You know, a dark fog! Almost like a really thick mist. That's pretty much the only way we can describe it!"

"Exactly! It's like there's this thick, dark, foggy mist hovering over the entire town," Dale insisted, hopping frantically up and down on Donald's shoulder. "We have no idea where it came from, but it seems to be growing thicker and darker by the minute!"

"Strange how it kind of appeared out of nowhere, but I guess we shouldn't really be surprised. The same thing sort of happened with Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town," Chip said thoughtfully.

"Sora," Roxas whispered, the name just barely escaping from the golden-haired Nobody's lips.

Tugging on his other half's arm and pulling the golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade to his feet, Sora said quietly, "I know. Let's get going."

"What?" Donald quacked, almost dropping his staff in surprise. "What do you mean 'let's get going?' Where are we going?"

"Where do you think? Twilight Town, of course!"

"But...but...we can't!" Donald protested, glancing expectantly at the captain of the King's royal guards. "We're due to arrive back at Disney Castle this evening!"

"You can't reach Twilight Town without our Gummi Ship, Sora," Chip and Dale said simultaneously, their oh so helpful words electing a snort from Riku and a roll of the eyes from Kairi.

Instead of making up excuses like the rest of the gang from Disney Castle, Goofy said solemnly, "It's at times like this when friends are supposed to stick together, right? I know we're expected to arrive at Disney Castle tonight, but plans can change. Besides, I think this is what His Majesty would have wanted us to do. No, I'm sure of it."

_Huh?_

Sora blinked in surprise when he suddenly noticed Goofy gazing in his direction, and frowning in confusion he gave the captain of the King's royal guards a questioning look.

Instead of responding, though, Goofy merely smiled at him and nodded towards his right hand, and all of a sudden Sora realized that the captain of the King's royal guards was not, in fact, staring at him after all. What had truly captured Goofy's attention was the letter Sora still held in his hand, turned in such a way that the King's seal was blatantly displayed where anyone could see it. The unmistakable symbol shone faintly in the light of the sun, almost as if it were pulsing with life.

Donald took one look at the letter, his eyes following Goofy's line of sight, and almost immediately the expression on his face changed, his irritation fading only to be replaced by a look of pure astonishment. Surprisingly, he did not ask questions, nor did he demand to know what was written in the letter. Instead, he merely turned on his heel and said to Goofy over his shoulder, "Come on, slowpoke, let's get the Gummi Ship ready for takeoff."

"Sora?" Naminé said hesitantly, standing up next to Roxas and clasping her hands together in a nervous gesture. "It's getting kind of late. Won't the people of Destiny Islands be wondering where you are?"

"That's right," Kairi sighed, making a face. "If we suddenly disappear during the night they'll start to worry."

Summoning Way to the Dawn, Riku pointed his impressive Keyblade in the direction of the mainland and smiling slightly, he said dryly, "We'll just have to make sure they don't find out, won't we."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Roxas demanded, frowning suspiciously at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade.

Ignoring Roxas, Riku turned to Kairi and said, "Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka haven't gone back to the mainland yet, have they?"

"No, I'm pretty sure they're still hanging out back near the cave. Why do you ask?"

"Get them to cover for us. Bribe them if you have to, I don't really care how you do it, just make sure they agree to get the word around that we're going to be a little late coming back to the mainland tonight. Don't tell them where we're going, just give them the impression that we'll be staying on the island a little longer than usual."

"They wouldn't believe us even if we _did_ tell them the truth," Kairi laughed, turning on her heels and racing off across the sand. "I'll be back in a minute."

"We'll meet you by the Gummi Ship, Sora," Goofy said quickly, following after Donald and the two chipmunks.

"Sora, are you ever going to introduce Roxas and myself to Tidus and the others?" Naminé asked shyly, looking a little bit uncertain of her words.

Sora turned to see Roxas gazing curiously at him, despite the fact that he was obviously still worried about his friends from Twilight Town, and nodding his head, the Keyblade Master said cheerfully, "Eventually, when they're ready to meet a couple of 'ghosts,' but right now we have bigger things to worry about. Although...if we did introduce you guys to them, I don't think they'd have any trouble believing we're on our way to rescue another world."

"True enough," Roxas murmured, the ghost of a smile slipping almost unnoticed across his face.

They waited a few more moments in tense silence, and spotting Kairi's fiery red hair moving quickly towards them, Sora called out, "How did it go?"

"They were definitely a bit suspicious, but I managed to convince them to cover for us," Kairi panted, coming to a stop next to Naminé and taking a few moments to catch her breath. "So far we're in the clear, but Tidus said to tell you we owe them big time."

Smirking, Riku said, "I figured he'd say that. Come on, let's get going."

Taking Roxas by the arm, Sora said softly, "Hayner and the others will be okay. You'll see."

"I hope so," Roxas mumbled, unable to look at him.

Walking quickly across the sand, Roxas by his side and the rest of his friends hurrying along behind him, Sora quickly raced after Donald and Goofy, his thoughts drifting reluctantly back to their last visit to Twilight Town.

Because, like Roxas, he too had not failed to notice that Riku and Namine were hiding something.

Something very important.

_Kingdom Hearts. Like I said, it all comes down to the same thing. What's really important. The strength of the heart. Tell me, Your Majesty, because I don't understand. What am I supposed to do?_


	2. What Cannot Be Seen

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and all that fun stuff.

**A/N: Back again! Sorry about the wait, but here is the chapter finally. And again, just so you all know, I kind of lied! There will be references to _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days_ in this story, but there won't be any mega spoilers concerning the main story and what happens at the end. Mostly just some quotes and flashback-like moments. Even I'm not sure how much from the DS game will make it into this story. Just thought I'd let you all know in case you are someone who has not finished the game yet. Also, I am rewriting _The Way to the Heart _and _The Eyes of Twilight_ to be more in line with the canon of _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days._ I think the rewrites also fit a little better with this story, as well, so if you have some time, go take a look and read the new versions. Only _The Way to_ _the Heart _is started so far and four chapters are currently done. The rest will be coming and then onto the second story rewrite. That's it from me. Hope you all enjoy this new chapter. The third chapter is also done and will be posted in a couple weeks!  
**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 2: What Cannot Be Seen

_Sora_

_The Usual Spot/ Sandlot, Twilight Town_

Shielding his eyes from the harsh light of the transport beam linking the Gummi Ship to the surface of the sleepy little town residing somewhere between the realms of light and darkness, Sora slowly lifted his head, his sapphire eyes coming to rest on the faded green couch sitting against the wall on the opposite side of the small building tucked beneath the train tracks that were, like the Station Plaza, a symbol of Twilight Town's most popular form of transport.

Built on top of a mountain, the city relied heavily on its railway system for mobility, and listening to the familiar sounds of the trains rumbling over the tracks, the occasional whistle blowing, its shrill cries coming from the direction of the station, Sora felt oddly comforted by the simple everyday sounds of the city, a routine that, despite Chip and Dale's dire predictions, appeared not to have been affected by the darkness hovering over the town Sora had come to love as his second home.

It was a relief, and yet at the same time it was also a bit unsettling.

Throwing courtesy out the window, Donald and Goofy had beamed them down from the Gummi Ship directly into the usual spot, and letting his eyes wander over the empty crates in the corner, the dart board hanging on the wall over his left shoulder, and the burgundy curtain covering the doorway, Sora was forced to admit that something about the small room didn't feel quite right.

There was nothing about the small building under the tracks that seemed particularly out of the ordinary.

Except for one thing. Something very important.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were nowhere to be seen.

_Great...So...now what?_

Normally, at this time of the day, Hayner and his two friends would be lounging around the usual spot, talking and doing their homework, and basically just killing some time before they had to be home for dinner, but today the place was unusually deserted, and realizing what that could potentially mean, Sora felt an unpleasant shiver race down his spine.

Next to him, Roxas must have realized the same thing because the golden-haired Nobody let out a soft sound that could only be described as a cross between a gasp and a strangled cry of despair.

"I'm not liking the way this looks, " Riku muttered, crossing the room and sitting down on the arm of the couch with the grace of an accomplished fighter. "It's too quiet."

"I agree," Kairi murmured, leaning up against the wall next to the door. "Something doesn't feel right. I can't really explain it. It's just...something feels..."

"Out of place," Naminé said quietly, moving over to stand next to Kairi. "There's something about Twilight Town that seems out of place."

_Hayner, Pence, Olette..._

Pulling Roxas down beside him on the couch, Sora placed his chin in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees, and frowning at Donald and Goofy, who were seated on the floor, he said uncertainly, "So, what do we do now?"

"Don't ask me!" Donald quacked indignantly, brandishing his staff. "You're the one who wanted to come here in the first place! Why don't _you _figure it out? If you want my opinion, I think Twilight Town seems perfectly fine. It doesn't look like there's anything suspicious going on to me."

"A-hyuck, it's too late to pretend now, Donald!" Goofy teased. "You wanted to come here just as much as the rest of us."

"I...well...that's not the point! Besides, this place doesn't look any more gloomy than it usually does. Chip and Dale must have been imagining things. I wouldn't put it past them. They're not as reliable as they like to think they are."

"Gawrsh, Donald, that wasn't a very nice thing to say."

"Well, it's true!" the court wizard grumbled. "Speaking of Twilight Town...Sora, you owe me an ice cream for dragging me all the way out here for nothing!"

Glancing anxiously at Roxas, Sora said quietly, "Let's hope it _is _nothing."

_If it means Hayner, Pence, and Olette are safe, I'll buy Donald all the ice cream he wants..._

Turning to Roxas, Sora said quietly, "What do you want to do?"

For a moment, it looked as if Roxas wasn't going to answer, but then he suddenly lifted his head and said flatly, "We need to find them."

"And the sooner the better," Kairi agreed.

Summoning his Keyblade and leaping swiftly to his feet, Riku said calmly, "Then what are we sitting around here for? Let's search this town from top to bottom. They've got to be around here somewhere."

_At least we hope so..._

Following Riku's example, Sora quickly jumped off the couch, and pulling Roxas up beside him, he quickly made his way towards the door. A swift peek around the curtain obscuring the entrance to the usual spot from view confirmed there was nobody standing in the back alley close to the door, but even so Sora chose to proceed with caution, conscious of the fact that there could be anything waiting for them somewhere down the side street that ran along Station Heights before eventually connecting to the station on the far side of town from the Sandlot.

"It's so quiet," Namine murmured, glancing nervously towards the Sandlot.

Nodding in agreement, Sora hesitantly slipped past the chain-linked fence into the alley, and glancing up at the sky, he said in confusion, "I still don't get what Chip and Dale meant by a 'cloud of darkness.' I mean...look at the sky. It doesn't look any different than it usually does."

"Gawrsh, you're right, Sora," Goofy whispered, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "I don't see any cloud of darkness anywhere. The sky looks the same as it always does; like the sun is about to set."

"That's because it's not something you can see," Roxas said shortly, pushing past the captain of the King's royal guards and heading towards the Sandlot. "Don't let the normalcy of the town fool you, though. There's definitely something wrong here. Trust me, I know this feeling. Things aren't always as they appear to be. I learned that the hard way, and I'm _not_ going to make the same mistake again."

_Roxas..._

Racing to catch up to the golden-haired Nobody, the rest of his friends nearly stepping on his heels, Sora panted, "Roxas! Hey, wait up! Where are we going?"

Without warning, Roxas suddenly halted, and unable to stop his momentum, Sora crashed into the golden-haired Nobody's back, a grunt of pain escaping his lips.

Apparently, Roxas didn't seem to notice, though, because instead of complaining he merely nodded his head towards the Sandlot and said, "We'll try here first. If they're not hanging out at the usual spot then the Sandlot would be the next best choice. I wouldn't put it past Hayner to be practicing for the next struggle competition already. If not, we'll try the station tower next. It's getting a little late for ice cream, but there's still a chance they might be up there."

"You think so?"

Summoning Oathkeeper and pointing the shiny Keyblade in the direction of the Sandlot, Roxas said quietly, "Stay on your guard. Whatever is going on around here...We might not be able to see it, but we can still feel it."

_Darkness...It feels...like...like how it always feels just before the Heartless invade..._

But if that was the case then why weren't their Keyblades warning them of danger?

"Roxas, do you think the darkness surrounding Twilight Town has something to do with why it's so quiet here?" Naminé asked hesitantly, glancing nervously at Kairi. "Do you think it has something to do with why the town seems so deserted? I mean...do you think the darkness is the reason why there seems to be less people around the town?"

"I can't say for sure, but I think so. The last time we were here, I felt it too, only...that time it wasn't quite as strong, which would explain why it didn't show up on the Gummi Ship's radar system. Something must have happened since then to make whatever is going on in Twilight Town even worse."

"What's done is done. There's no use beating yourself up about it," Riku interrupted, hefting his Keyblade onto his shoulders and frowning at the golden-haired Nobody. "I know what you're thinking, but you're wrong. There's nothing you could have done."

"I know, but still...we never should have left."

_It's my fault. I knew there was something going on, but I..._

The expression on his face must have indicated what he was thinking because Roxas suddenly looked at him and said sharply, "Forget it, Sora. Don't even worry about it. You know I wouldn't blame you. We all felt it, even if some of us, like Goofy and Donald, didn't notice it at the time. We all could have done something about it, but nobody did. The blame lies with all of us, not just you."

"But I..."

"Focus, you two," Riku interrupted, gazing at each of them in turn. "We need to worry about what's going on now, not about what happened in the past."

Riku and Roxas were right, of course, but even so, Sora couldn't help feeling as if he were partly to blame for what was happening to Twilight Town.

_Your Majesty...Is this...is this what you meant?_

"Are you ready?" Roxas asked, studying him closely.

Taking a deep breath, Sora quickly summoned Oblivion, the Keyblade materializing easily in his hand, and hefting the weapon over his shoulder, he said firmly, "Let's get this over with."

"You go first, Sora," Riku instructed, nodding his head towards the entrance to the Sandlot. "This place might look like a ghost town, but that doesn't mean there might not still be people hanging around. We don't want them to panic at the sight of Roxas. The less attention we receive, the better. Plus, we can't forget about the Heartless and the Nobodies."

"I guess..."

"Roxas, you follow Sora, and I'll follow you. That way if there is anybody hanging around, you'll still have a chance to get yourself out of sight."

"What about the rest of us?" Kairi asked curiously.

Pointing his Keyblade at the King's men, Riku said seriously, "Donald and Goofy will flank Sora in case we're attacked, a possibility we can't overlook, which leaves you and Naminé. You two will follow me."

"Okay. Be careful, guys."

Smiling at the red-haired female, Sora said cheerfully, "Aren't we always?"

"Yeah, right."

"We'll be fine."

Raising her eyebrows, Kairi said dryly, "Just don't do anything _too_ dangerous, Sora, or you're going to be in big trouble!"

Making a face at the red-haired female, Sora raced through the entrance to the Sandlot, his dark Keyblade sparkling brilliantly in the light of the setting sun, and spotting a group of people standing on the opposite side of the Sandlot near the entrance to the Tram Common, the Keyblade Master came to an abrupt halt, a soft groan escaping his lips.

Instead of leaping into a hoard of Heartless and Nobodies, Sora instead found himself in the presence of the group known as the Twilight Disciplinary Committee.

"Roxas!" Donald hissed, giving the golden-haired Nobody a push.

Grabbing onto Naminé's hand, Roxas quickly leaped behind one of the old wooden benches surrounding the perimeter of the Sandlot in the nick of time, his transparent body only barely missing Fuu's sharp gaze.

Sensing they were no longer alone, Seifer turned to glance over his shoulder, and bright blue eyes narrowing into a deep frown, he whirled around, the struggle weapon in his hand coming to rest comfortably on his shoulders.

"You again," the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee said quietly, moving slowly towards them.

Attempting to smile, Sora said cheerfully, "Um...hi, Seifer. Er...don't mind us, we're just passing through."

Coming to a stop about a foot away from their small group, Rai and Fuu standing on either side of him, and Vivi hovering behind Fuu's legs, Seifer raised his eyebrows, clearly not convinced. "Just passing through, huh? Like I'm going to believe that. You attract trouble the way a dog attracts flees. Whatever is going on around here must have something to do with you. You wouldn't be here if you weren't involved somehow. The timing is a little _too_ convenient for my liking."

_Wait a minute...he...he feels it, too?_

Sora stared at the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee in surprise, unable to respond, and twirling his Keyblade nervously in his hand, he glanced anxiously at Riku, uncertain of what to do.

Before either of them could respond, though, Kairi said curiously, "Then...we're not just imagining things?"

"You feel it, don't you?" Vivi said softly, his bright eyes darting nervously around the Sandlot. "Everything feels...dark."

"Eerie," Fuu murmured, a slight frown on her face.

"Plus, Twilight Town seems pretty empty, y'know?" Rai interrupted, nodding his head towards the entrance to the Tram Common for emphasis. "I mean, where did everybody go? Even the station is practically deserted."

"We've been trying to figure out what the heck is going on around here, but so far no luck," Seifer said shortly, shaking his head in frustration. "I take it the five of you aren't having any better luck?"

"Gawrsh, Seifer, I wish we had a different answer for you, but so far we don't know much more than you do," Goofy said regretfully, smiling sheepishly at the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee.

Grumbling to himself, Donald muttered, "And even if we did it's not like we'd tell you anything."

_Thanks a lot, Donald. Even if you _are_ right, that doesn't mean you have to go and say it!_

Thankfully, the court wizard spoke low enough to prevent Seifer from overhearing his words, but apparently that _still _wasn't enough to satisfy Riku because instead of dismissing Donald's outburst the way everyone else appeared to have let it slide, he gave the court wizard a hearty whack with his Keyblade.

"Really," Seifer said slowly, ignoring Donald and crossing his arms over his chest. "So...none of you know what's going on around here? I find that hard to believe. Spill it, Sora! What kind of trouble have you brought to our town this time?"

"Yeah, tell us!" Rai demanded. "This is so not cool, y'know?"

"Dangerous," Fuu agreed, her sharp tone cutting through the tension in the air.

_Huh? Hold on a moment...They think what's happening around here is my fault?_

Growing indignant, Sora shouted, "Hey! It's not my fault this is happening! I'm not the one who caused all of this!"

"Maybe not, but you're still somehow at the centre of it!" Seifer snapped, his deep blue eyes narrowing into angry slits.

Tilting his head to the side, Riku studied the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee with a thoughtful look on his face, and twirling his Keyblade lightly in his hand, he said mildly, "So, what's your point? Maybe we are, and maybe we aren't. What exactly do you want us to do about it?"

For a moment, Seifer looked like he wasn't going to answer, and then suddenly, without warning, he turned his face away and said quietly, "Fix it."

"You started it, now you have to finish it, y'know?" Rai said firmly, clenching his hands into tight fists.

"Please?" Vivi pleaded.

"Promise," Fuu insisted.

_Seifer..._

Taking a step closer and placing his hand on Seifer's shoulder, forcing the blond-haired teen to meet his eyes, Sora smiled and said confidently, "Don't worry, I plan on it."

"Stay on your guard and keep that weird sword of yours close at hand. There's no telling what might happen around here."

"I will, and don't worry. We'll be careful."

"You guys be careful, too," Kairi insisted, her face tight with fear.

Nodding her head and giving Kairi a look that was almost a smile, Fuu said, "Easy."

"Nothing to it, y'know?" Rai said confidently, pumping his fist into the air.

"How long has Twilight Town been like this?" Riku asked curiously, already knowing the answer but nonetheless still asking to figure out how long Seifer and his friends have been aware of the situation.

Crossing his arms over his chest, his struggle weapon still clenched tightly in his right hand, Seifer frowned at the soft sand beneath his feet, a look of concentration on his handsome face. The cool breeze blowing down from Station Heights made the golden-haired teen's long white coat flutter gently around his legs, and shaking his head, he said slowly, "We're not really sure. Whatever this...this feeling is, we think it's been going on for a while, but we didn't really start to notice it until about two days ago. That's when things started to get really bad. This town feels...suffocating, and though there are still people around, it just looks and feels...empty somehow."

_It's just like we thought. This whole thing must have started on the same day we brought Roxas here to reunite him with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. The forest...Could all of this have something to do with what's been bothering Roxas lately?_

"In case you're wondering, none of those weird white things have appeared yet, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods yet," Seifer said shortly, his words sharp and to the point. "Just thought I'd let you know. Like I said, stay on your guard. Don't get careless, or you'll hear about it from me later."

Turning on his heel, his white coat billowing out behind him, Seifer began to make his way towards the entrance to the back alley, his lackeys trailing along behind, but before he could get very far, Sora called out, "Hey, Seifer! You wouldn't happen to have seen Hayner lately by any chance, would you?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Seifer smirked, "Chicken wuss? Haven't seen him since earlier this afternoon. Knowing him, he's probably gone into hiding somewhere. He's such a wimp. Can't say I blame him, though. He can't even win a struggle match, let alone a real battle. I'd hate to see him try to stand up to those creepy white things. They'd probably eat him alive."

"They'd cream him, y'know?" Rai snorted.

"Owned," Fuu agreed, dismissing Hayner with a wave of her hand.

_Ouch. Harsh!_

"No, wait!" Kairi suddenly cried, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

_Huh?_

Whirling around in surprise, Sora turned just in time to see Roxas leap out from behind the wooden bench he'd been using as a hiding spot, Oathkeeper in his hands, and racing up behind Seifer, he whacked the golden-haired teen in the back with his Keyblade, sending the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee sprawling face first into the sand.

"Ghost!" Fuu shrieked, pointing at the golden-haired Nobody in horror.

"I can see right through him!" Rai whispered in fear, unable to move due to his immense terror. "He's like transparent, y'know?"

Scrambling into a sitting position, Seifer stared at Roxas in astonishment, his handsome face turning a milky shade of white, and trying unsuccessfully to form a coherent sentence, he managed to stutter, "W-what...what _are_ you?"

"It doesn't matter!" Roxas snapped, swinging his Keyblade over his shoulders and glaring at the golden-haired teen. "What matters is the fact that I'm getting really sick of the way you keep bad mouthing my friends! If you trash Sora or Hayner again, next time I won't go so easy on you!"

"You...you're..." Seifer managed to gasp, staring at the golden-haired Nobody in fear. "Ghost..."

Sora let out a gasp of surprise as Oblivion suddenly disappeared from his hand, and raising his eyebrows he watched as the dark Keyblade rematerialized in his other half's left hand, the one that was not already occupied by Oathkeeper.

Twirling both Keyblades in a fashion that was similar to the way Axel would always spin his chakrams, his deep blue eyes narrowed in fury, Roxas snapped, "Have I made myself clear or do you want another demonstration?"

"Run!" Fuu shouted, gesturing frantically towards the entrance to Station Heights with her hand.

"Come on, Seifer, let's split, y'know?" Rai cried, taking his own advice and sprinting across the sand towards their escape route, Fuu right on his heels.

Scrambling to his feet, Seifer quickly hurried after his two underlings, his shoes kicking up a trail of sand, and letting out a yelp of surprise at being left behind, Vivi quickly stumbled after the blond-haired teen, nearly losing his tattered hat in the process.

Just before reaching the entrance to Station Heights, the smallest member of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee suddenly stopped, his bright eyes shifting to stare intently at Roxas, and tipping his hat in a gesture of farewell, he said softly, "See you later...Roxas."

_No way! Vivi?_

Smiling slightly, Sora watched the little mage disappear from sight, and turning to look at Roxas, he said in exasperation, "You had to pick now, didn't you. Would it have killed you to wait a little longer?"

Staring after Vivi, clearly startled by the little mage's use of his name, Roxas dismissed both Keyblades with a flourish and said innocently, "What?"

"Forget it, let's just hurry up and find Hayner and the others."

"Vivi...he remembered you," Naminé said softly, stepping slowly out from behind the bench she had been hiding behind with Roxas and giving the golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade a warm smile.

Smiling in return, Roxas said simply, "I know."

_Just like Hayner, Pence, and Olette. But this time, it's even more surprising because Roxas never met Vivi in the real Twilight Town, like he did with Hayner and the others..._

"Enough fooling around!" Donald grumbled, sending Roxas a rather disapproving look. "Where to now?"

"It's your call, Roxas," Riku said simply. "You know their routine better than we do."

Frowning, Roxas said slowly, "Well, like I said earlier, we can always try the station tower, but since we're on this side of town, we might as well try the Tram Common next."

"Tram Common it is then."

"Let's go," Kairi ordered, taking Naminé's hand and leading the golden-haired Nobody towards the opposite side of the Sandlot.

Glancing back towards the usual spot, Sora let Roxas pull him along by the wrist, and shaking his head he let out a frustrated sigh, still uncertain of what to do.

The longer Hayner, Pence, and Olette remained missing in action, the more he felt as if they were in serious trouble, though he was reluctant to admit such a thing to Roxas.

After all, his Nobody was already worried enough as it was. Roxas didn't need him making things worse.

_Hayner, Pence, Olette...Where are you guys?_


	3. Eclipse

Disclaimer: This again? Fine then! I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or any of the characters belonging to said franchises. Unfortunately. *sigh*

**A/N: Back again with a new chapter! I'm not quite sure how many chapters this story is going to have, but at this point in time I believe it will have either eight or nine. It will depend on how much I start to ramble. You know, that sort of thing! Rewrites will continue for the first two stories in this series. All quotes in this chapter are taken from _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days _and are the property of Square Enix and Disney. Please review! I want to have a reason to get excited!**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 3: Eclipse

_Roxas_

_Tram Common, Twilight Town_

Still fuming over Seifer's insults towards Hayner, Roxas came to a stop beneath the track passing over the entrance to the Sandlot, and frowning at the large rusty-coloured building standing just across the road from their small group, he tightened his hold on Oathkeeper and turned his head slightly to look at Sora over is shoulder, his sapphire eyes studying the Keyblade Master's anxious expression. "I guess Seifer wasn't lying when he made that comment about how empty Twilight Town has become lately. I mean, look at this place."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Sora replied, his forehead wrinkling into a deep frown. "The Tram Common is even more deserted than it was the last time we were here."

_So...empty. Where could everyone have gone?_

Stepping out directly into the middle of the road in plain sight, not the least bit worried that he might be spotted, Roxas quickly made his way up the hill towards the entrance to the forest, uncertain of how to proceed. The crates that someone had stacked around the entrance to the woods on their last visit to Twilight Town, obscuring the small opening in the concrete wall from view, had been removed; recently by the looks of it, since there were slight scuff marks on the ground, which meant the opening to the forest could once again be seen by anyone riding the tram or walking along the track, as dangerous as that might be.

Not that the risk of possibly being run over by the tram had ever stopped Roxas from following the track on foot.

Though there were still a few people milling around on the streets, even from his position on the track where it began to elevate above the road, Roxas could tell the Tram Common was nowhere near as busy as it should have been at that time of day.

What surprised him the most, though, was the fact that when it came to the few people who _were_ still out and about, none of them appeared to think there was anything out of the ordinary going on, if the smiles on their faces and their relaxed attitudes were anything to go by.

"At this rate, both you and Naminé won't have any trouble staying out of sight," Sora said cheerfully, leaping up onto the track from the road down below and attempting to smile.

A moment later they were joined by the rest of the group, who unlike Sora had decided to take the more conservative route to reach them, and shaking his head, Roxas said slowly, "I don't like this."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, the emptiness of the town made him feel nervous, though for the sake of argument, it also didn't help that he could feel the forest watching him, a pair of unseen eyes boring into the back of his skull.

_**"All will be revealed when the time comes..."**_

"Well, like Sora said, at least you won't have to worry too much about having to hide," Kairi said softly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Keeping both you and Naminé hidden from view is going to be the least of our problems, I think."

"Which is a good thing," Riku interrupted, smirking slightly.

Roxas raised his eyebrows, and glancing at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade, he said dryly, "How do you figure that?"

"We need your Keyblade. At the moment, you'd be useless to us inside of Sora."

"Oh, thanks! I don't know whether I should be flattered or insulted."

"That's your call," Riku replied, tossing his head. "You decide."

"Hey, save your insults for me," Sora scolded, whacking Riku in the ribs with his Keyblade. "Roxas is off limits."

Smiling slightly, Roxas slipped his arm around Sora's shoulders and said, "Yeah, I got enough of that from Axel."

"More like the other way around," Sora teased, smiling in amusement.

_**"How was your mission?"**_

_**"Oh, loads of fun...Would it kill the Heartless to hold still? I fell right on my butt chasing the stupid thing."**_

_**"Nice. Didn't I hear you tell Saix you were a big boy?"**_

_**"Very funny."**_

Thinking back on his memories of Axel, despite how anxious he felt for his three friends from Twilight Town, Roxas had to laugh. "Sometimes he deserved it. And for the record, he took just as many shots on me as I did on him. More, actually!"

"Has anyone spotted Hayner yet?" Naminé asked quietly, effectively turning the golden-haired wielder of the Keyblade's attention back to the problem at hand.

"Not yet, but it's hard to tell what's going on in the Tram Common from were we are now. We should move further in so we can get a better look around..."

_Anything to get away from the forest..._

As if sensing his thoughts, Sora leaned closer to him and said quietly, "You doing okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's just...keep moving."

_**"It was only a matter of time before somebody had to break the mirror..."**_

Stepping away from the entrance to the forest a little more swiftly than was strictly necessary, Roxas cautiously began to make his way down the track that circled a large green building, and veering off to the right he poked his head into the small alcove where they parked the trams at the end of the day, glancing around for any sign of his three friends from Twilight Town.

Unfortunately, the tram yard was empty, and spotting nothing out of the ordinary, Roxas once again joined his friends in front of the green building, the slump in his shoulders giving away the truth of what he had seen. "No one in there."

"Gawrsh, Roxas, don't give up yet. I'm sure we'll find them sooner or later," Goofy insisted, giving him an encouraging look. "There are still lots of places we haven't check yet."

"I know, but..."

"Don't look so gloomy," Donald scolded, brandishing his staff. "It's bad for morale."

"Like your attitude is any better," Sora muttered, hiding a smile.

Glaring at the Keyblade Master, Donald angrily thrust his staff into the air, and letting out a yelp of surprise, Sora quickly rolled out of the way in order to avoid the thunder bolts raining down onto the ground all around him. "Hey! What was that for?"

"That was for eating the rest of the sea-salt ice cream!"

"You're still going on about that? That bar wasn't even yours to begin with!"

"That doesn't mean you had to go and eat the rest of it!"

"Roxas gave it to me!"

"Only because you bribed him!"

"I did not!"

"Ignore them, Roxas," Kairi laughed, rolling her eyes and giving his shoulder a quick squeeze.

Shaking his head, Roxas quickly led his companions under the overpass connecting the stairs on the right to the building on the left, and coming to a stop next to the jewelry shop, where thankfully the clerk was nowhere in sight, and pointing to the moogle shop, he said, "Maybe we should ask if anyone has seen Hayner and the others lately, since Seifer was completely useless."

"You mean...ask the moogle?" Naminé questioned, nodding her head towards the little creature rummaging around in his shop.

"Are you crazy? He'll see you guys!" Donald quacked, staring at them in disbelief.

"Better the moogle than the clerk at the clothing shop," Riku commented, pointing his Keyblade at the aforementioned building.

"Besides, it's a _moogle_," Kairi emphasized, giving Donald a meaningful look. "They're not exactly all that normal looking themselves. What right would he have to complain about Roxas and Naminé being transparent?"

"Gawrsh, Kairi does have a point, Donald," Goofy said reasonably, fiddling with the shiny shield in his hands. "That moogle looks just as strange as we do. I doubt he would be bothered by the sight of Roxas and Naminé looking like a couple of ghosts. You know what moogles are like. They travel around a lot when the doors to all the worlds are opened and they visit all kinds of different worlds. That moogle has probably seen people a lot stranger than Roxas and Naminé."

"Maybe, but-"

"Come on, let's go," Sora interrupted, impatient to get moving. "The longer we stand around here arguing, the less chance we have of finding Hayner and the others."

Not needing to be told twice, Roxas quickly hurried over to the moogle shop, and leaning over the counter, he called out, "Excuse me, do you have a moment?"

Jerking around in surprise, the pom pom on his head dancing like a leaf caught in a brisk breeze, the moogle gasped, "Don't scare me like that, kupo! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?"

Giving the moogle an apologetic smile and leaning his elbows on the counter, Sora said sheepishly, "Sorry about that. My friend didn't mean to startle you. If you're not too busy, do you mind answering a few questions for us?"

"It depends on what they are and whether or not you're going to buy anything," the moogle grumbled, his small wings fluttering irritably behind his back. "Business has been bad lately, kupo. I have to make a profit somehow, don't I?"

Grabbing onto Sora, who yelped in surprise, Roxas quickly searched the Keyblade Master's clothing for cash, and dropping a handful of munny onto the counter, he said shortly, "Hand me a couple of potions and you've got yourself a deal."

"Yes, sir! Right away, kupo!"

"You know, that was the last of my munny," Sora complained, giving him a dirty look.

"Relax, would you? It's for a good cause."

"But-"

"Here you go, kupo!" the moogle said cheerfully, beaming at him and handing over the requested potions. "Now what was it you wanted to know?"

As Kairi had predicted earlier, the moogle did not seem at all fazed by the fact that two of his customers looked like ghosts, and dropping the potions into Sora's arms, who grunted with the effort of trying not to drop them while still holding a Keyblade in one hand, Roxas said quickly, "First of all, have you seen Hayner, Pence, or Olette?"

Tilting his head to the side, the moogle said slowly, "They were here in the Tram Common earlier, buying some sea-salt ice cream, but since then I haven't seen a single glimpse of them, kupo. Why? Are you looking for them?"

"Kind of. Do you know which direction they were heading in?"

"They went that way, kupo," the moogle replied, pointing towards the entrance to Station Heights. "But, like I said before, that was a while ago. It looked to me like they were heading towards the station, but I can't guarantee that's where you'll fine them, kupo."

"Maybe not, but it won't hurt to look," Riku said quietly, almost to himself. "What do you think, Roxas?"

"Well, since that was my next suggestion anyways we might as well go take a look."

"Be careful, kupo," the moogle warned, leaning over the counter to gaze intently at them, though it was hard to tell just how intense his expression actually was seeing as he was a moogle, and lowering his voice, he said, "Twilight Town hasn't been the same lately and the air feels dangerous, kupo. I'd watch yourselves if I were you."

"Gawrsh, you mean you've noticed it, too?" Goofy asked curiously, staring at the moogle in surprise.

"It's hard to do business when there aren't very many people around to do business _with_, kupo. It's almost like half the town has disappeared!"

"Strange," Naminé murmured, a thoughtful look on her face.

"That's not the strangest part," the moogle insisted in a conspiratorial tone."What's even more strange is the fact that when it comes to the remaining residents in this town, they don't seem to notice there's anything out of the ordinary going on. They just keep going on with their daily lives like the bizarre atmosphere in this town is the most normal thing in the world, kupo. Only a few of the residents, like the members of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee, seem to notice there's anything going on."

"What about Hayner and his friends?" Kairi asked instantly.

Lowering his gaze to the counter, the moogle said hesitantly, "Well...I did hear Hayner mention something about how the town feels...dark, and then he said something about mounting a search to find out what's been going on around here, so...I think it's pretty safe to assume your friend also feels the strange atmosphere in this town, kupo."

"But...if they were going to start searching the town, why were they heading towards the station with sea-salt ice cream?" Donald quacked indignantly, shaking his head in disbelief. "That sounds more like slacking off than searching to me! There's something screwy going on around here. I don't like this one little bit!"

Thinking back on the moogle's words, Roxas said slowly, "They probably went to the clock tower to come up with a plan to search the town. I know sea-salt ice cream always helps me to think a little bit better. The clock tower does make for a great thinking spot, and other than the usual spot, it was our favorite place to hang out, just like how I used to hang out there with Axel...Most likely they went there to come up with some sort of a strategy. That's what we would have done in the past if we weren't going to the usual spot, and if the real Twilight Town is anything like the fake Twilight Town..."

"Fake Twilight Town?" the moogle interrupted, gazing curiously at each of them in turn. "What's that, kupo?"

Ignoring the moogle, Sora said gently, "Come on, we should get going. If Hayner and the others are still sitting up on the clock tower, then we'd better hurry up if we want to catch them."

"Don't worry, I'm sure your friends are fine, kupo," the moogle said cheerfully, nodding his head for emphasis. "Take care now, kupo."

"Thanks, we'll be careful."

Roxas turned his back on the moogle shop, but before he could step away from the counter, the moogle said, "It was great doing business with you, kupo. Please come again. I look forward to swin-er...I mean, showing you my wares again...Roxas."

_Just like Vivi..._

Turing slowly to stare at the moogle, Roxas raised his eyebrows, and smiling slightly he exchanged an amused look with Sora. Even the moogle looked confused over his own words, as if for the life of him he couldn't understand where in all the worlds he had come up with the name Roxas.

_Maybe, just maybe, I'm not as much of a stranger in this town as I think I am..._

_**"Once you believe, the truth and a lie are quite the same thing. Let your heart decide. It's in your heart you must confide..."**_

"Are we ready?" Naminé asked quietly, turning to gaze anxiously at the twilit sun looming above the empty streets of Twilight Town.

_**"Indeed, but to find this shadow**_, _**you must scour the shade."**_

Glancing once more back in the direction of the forest, Roxas felt a small shiver race down his spine, and taking a deep breath he pointed Oathkeeper at the entrance to Station Heights and said firmly, "Let's go."


	4. The Hand of Fate

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and all that fun stuff.

**A/N: Another chapter done! Okay, so before you read I think there are a few things I need to clear up. First of all, the moogle in the last chapter was _not_ the moogle from The Castle That Never Was. He's the moogle from the Twilight Town moogle shop featured in KH II. And he remembers Roxas because his simulated form in Ansem's Twilight Town would have dealt with Roxas occasionally, just as the moogle from the real Twilight Town deals with Sora. I can, though, understand why you'd all make that mistake due to the fact that I did sort of base this moogle's personality off the one from The Castle That Never Was. Reason why? Come on, all moogles are shady! Those shady moogles and their sketchy shops, always trying to rip you off...*grumbles* But, now that the idea has come to my head, I think one day I might write a one-shot about that moogle from The Castle That Never Was! Also...I think, judging by some of my reviews, that this story is actually not about what most of you seem to think it's about. Well, it is, but it isn't, so to speak. I won't say any more than that because I don't want to give anything away, but you'll all get what I mean eventually.**

**Now, this will be the last update for this story until I finish the rewrite for _The Eyes of Twilight._ Reason being? Basically** **it's because I'd better finish that one first, otherwise if I continue to write this one without first finishing the other one, I will most likely stupidly end up contradicting myself somewhere along the line. Also, because I have not finished doing the rewrite for _The Eyes of Twilight, _parts of this story will contradict the original version of that story. Just a reminder to be aware of that. And I promise I'll stop babbling now. Go and read and leave me a nice review, which I will love you forever for, just for** **taking the time to write it!**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 4: The Hand of Fate

_Roxas_

_Station Heights/Station Plaza, Twilight Town_

Walking silently next to Sora, his sapphire eyes scanning the narrow street up ahead, Roxas took a deep breath to calm himself, feeling suddenly uneasy at the direction his thoughts were taking. Though he could not explain why, ever since the moment of their arrival in Twilight Town, for some bizarre reason words and phrases that were not his own, nor did they belong to the Keyblade Master, had begun to surface unwanted like fleeting ghosts inside his head, calling out to him in soft whispers and beckoning to him from the darkness, as if anxious to join with the element he wielded so effectively in battle.

Light.

_My light. Sora's light. The light inside..._

Upon discovering that Hayner, Pence, and Olette had gone missing for reasons he still had yet to discover, the voice had become a constant presence in his mind.

A familiar presence.

In his head, the words were always soft and the voice was always female, and though he could not identify the speaker, deep inside his heart, he felt like he should know who this girl was and why her voice sounded so familiar to him.

A voice from the past. The same voice that had come to him unexpectedly when Pence had asked him earlier about the friend he had been searching for with Axel during a mission to destroy a giant Heartless that had surfaced in Twilight Town.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Kairi, though Roxas knew instinctively that the voice speaking to him inside his head did not belong to the red-haired female Sora was so fond of.

_**"You look so much like him..."**_

_Could it be? This voice...Maybe...Xion?_

The girl Riku and Naminé had refused to tell him about, though Riku had insisted he wasn't all that sure about Xion himself. The girl whom he knew was somehow very important to him.

The girl he could not remember.

Only a name, and nothing more.

_Except the clock tower. There _were_ three of us. I know it! She was there. It was her..._

"Hey, try not to think so hard, would you?" Sora suddenly said softly in his ear, elbowing him playfully in the side. "It looks kind of painful."

_No...It's not the thinking part that's painful. It's the memories of her. Memories I can't even remember. If only Axel were here with me. He was there, too, on the clock tower. He might know...At least, he might have known if he were still alive..._

"Thinking about Axel?" Sora asked quietly, watching him closely.

Staring at the Keyblade Master in surprise, Roxas mumbled, "How did you know?"

"You always get that look on your face whenever you think about him."

_He's not the only one I'm thinking about..._

And suddenly, just like that, Roxas could see her face in his mind. Black hair and deep blue eyes, a face that was identical to both Kairi and Naminé. In his head, he could see her sitting next to him on the clock tower, laughing and eating sea-salt ice cream. The girl he could only assume was Xion sat on his left while Axel sat on his right. All of them smiling. All of them looking as if they didn't have a care in the world...

_**"I was wondering why you two looked so happy. Lucky..."**_

"That obvious, huh?"

Laughing softly, Sora gave his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze and said, "To me it is, but even if you _didn't _have that look on your face, I'd still know. I guess that's what it means to be a part of each other."

"Huh?"

Looking away from him, Sora said sadly, "You're not the only one who feels the loss of Axel."

_Sora..._

Impulsively placing his hand against the Keyblade Master's heart, Roxas lowered his voice until it was almost a whisper, determined to keep their conversation just between the two of them. "Until I met you, I never knew there were so many different possible ways to feel. When I was with the Organization, I felt things, but I never realized the scale could be so big. So...massive. I'll be the first one to admit that some of these feelings feel...really good. But...there are others that really, _really_, hurt."

"Do you...regret being able to feel?"

**_"Did the Organization really only have thirteen members? I...I don't know..."_**

It was a fleeting thought that had drifted through Roxas' head during his last trip to Twilight Town, but he had completely forgotten about it.

Until now**_._**

_Could it be? Xion? Her black coat, like the one all the members of the Organization wore. She wore the same coat when Axel and I used to sit with her on the station tower..._**_  
_**

Gazing directly into the Keyblade Master's eyes, Roxas shook his head and said firmly, "No. I won't deny that losing Axel was the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with, even more so than making the decision to come back to you. It's not like it was with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Unlike my other friends, Axel is gone forever. He's never coming back...It hurts more than I could ever put into words, but...I'd rather feel this horrible pain inside my chest than feel nothing at all. To feel nothing...It would be an insult to Axel's memory. It would feel like...like I let him down somehow..."

_Just like I let _her _down. I couldn't protect her, just like I couldn't protect Axel..._

"Well, it might not mean much, but...I think...like Axel said, as long as you remember him, you guys will always be together," Sora said softly, giving him a warm smile. "As long as you keep his memory alive in your heart, the two of you will never be apart."

_**"You'll always be my best friend..."**_

"You won't forget him either?"

"Not a chance. My heart is your heart. Axel's memory will be safe inside both of us."

_Typical sappy speech from Sora. What would I do without him?_

"Hey, Sora?"

"What's up?"

Roxas hesitated, and summoning Oblivion right out of Sora's hand, he held the dark Keyblade up to the twilit sun, its shiny surface sparkling brilliantly beneath the orange sky hovering over the sleepy little town that was his home, much more than the Organization's castle had ever been.

In his other hand, Oathkeeper sparkled blindingly enough to rival its dark counterpart, and gazing intently at the two Keyblades, Roxas felt something stir inside the heart he shared with the Keyblade Master.

Almost against his will, Sora's words from their last visit to Twilight Town suddenly came back to him, creating a sudden lump in his throat.

_**"Roxas, weren't you able to use two Keyblades? I mean, when you were with the Organization? You confronted Riku in The World That Never Was carrying two Keyblades. Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Only now...it's always just Oathkeeper, and in all my other memories of you, you're always using just one Keyblade, except for that one time with Riku. I mean, sure I'm always using ****Oblivion, but that doesn't mean you can't still use two Keyblades. I have plenty of other Keyblades you could use for a second one. Why not use the Sleeping Lion, Fenrir, or even the Ultima Weapon as your second Keyblade?"**_

_Sora...you asked me about my Keyblade, but despite all of your questions, you missed asking me the most important one of all, even though you touched on the subject without even realizing it. Why? Why am I able to wield two Keyblades in the first place? _

It was a good question, one he did not have an answer for_._

_I don't get it. Sora wasn't able to wield two Keyblades until he merged with me, and even then he can only do it in drive form. But not me. I was able to wield two Keyblades _before _I merged with Sora. He can only do it because of me. I just don't understand. Like I told Sora earlier, it wasn't always this way. When I first joined the Organization, I was just like Sora. I could only wield one Keyblade. It wasn't until the end...Something must have happened. Something must have changed the way things used to be. This ability to wield two Keyblades, this power...It's not just mine. It doesn't just come from me..._

_**"I'd like to dedicate this Keyblade summoning to my good friends Axel and Roxas..."**_

"Roxas?" Sora pressed, interrupting his thoughts.

"I...it's nothing. Just thinking."

"I wish you'd think a little more loudly."

Feeling suddenly guilty, Roxas quickly handed Oblivion back to the Keyblade Master, and leaning close to Sora, he said in a low voice, "Sorry, I just..."

"Soon?" Sora asked quietly, looking more than a little disappointed. "I'm worried about you."

_**"I worry about you all the time, Roxas..."**_

"Don't be. It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just...there are a few things I need to figure out first."

_I should have known he'd realize there was something wrong..._

Though he looked like he wanted to argue, Sora nodded slowly to show he understood, and pointing at Oathkeeper, he said firmly, "Just don't forget your promise."

"Don't worry, I won't."

_**"If he's taking the Heartless on by himself, he must have a good reason."**_

_**"Like what?"**_

_**"Like...maybe he has something he wants to protect..."**_

Taking Sora gently by the arm, Roxas quickly pulled the Keyblade Master up the hill towards the Station Plaza, and stopping in front of the large garage door located near the entrance to the station, he turned to gaze solemnly at the group hurrying along behind him, his sapphire eyes narrowing in concentration. "Ready?"

"Keep an eye out for any Heartless or Nobodies," Riku warned, moving swiftly towards the entrance to the Station Plaza, his Keyblade ready for battle at his side.

Without a word, Roxas quickly fell in behind Riku and Sora, and bursting through the entrance to the station, this time it was Riku who came to an abrupt halt, catching the rest of the group off guard.

At the rear of the group, Donald slammed into Goofy, sending both of them tumbling to the ground in a heap, a loud quack escaping the court wizard's mouth, and just in front of the King's men Kairi had to grab onto Naminé's shoulder to prevent herself from trampling the golden-haired Nobody.

Unable to stop his momentum, Sora stumbled into Riku, and due to the fact that he was only a couple of steps behind the Keyblade Master, Roxas ended up crashing into Sora, nearly sending all three of them sprawling face-first onto the rusty coloured bricks used to pave the plaza in front of the station.

"Ouch," Sora complained, reaching up to gently massage his right shoulder where Oathkeeper had most likely left an angry red mark on his skin.

Grumbling under his breath and grabbing onto the Keyblade Master's hood to steady himself, Roxas peeked around Sora's shoulder and said impatiently, "What's the hold up?"

"Setzer," Riku replied in a low voice, nodding his head towards the tall, silver-haired man sanding just in front of the glass doors leading into the station.

Unlike their previous visit, this time Setzer was alone, his fan club suspiciously absent, and like the members of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee, he too seemed ill at ease, his intense gaze studying the empty plaza with something close to suspicion.

"Careful!" Sora yelped, tugging on the necklines of his shirts. "You're going to choke me to death."

"Um...Sora," Kairi interrupted, waving her hand at the former struggle champion.

Blinking in confusion, for a moment Sora merely stared at Setzer, and then realizing all of a sudden what Kairi was trying to say, the Keyblade Master let out another yelp, his hand reaching back to grab Naminé's hand.

Sensing the Keyblade Master's sudden bout of panic, Naminé allowed herself to be pulled up against Sora's back, and ducking next to the female Nobody, Roxas once again peeked around Sora's body to study the man he had once defeated to become the struggle champion in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town.

Though Sora had been quick to step in front of the two golden-haired Nobodies, hiding their transparent bodies from view, unfortunately he hadn't moved quite fast enough because Setzer was already watching them, his eyebrows raised in surprise and his steady gaze focusing on the two ghostly figures huddling behind the Keyblade Master.

_So much for staying out of sight..._

"Um...hey, Setzer," Sora called out, a weak smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

Unlike the Sandlot, there weren't any good hiding places located around the station, and realizing it would be useless to try and cover up what Setzer had already seen, Roxas quickly stepped out from behind Sora, his Keyblade resting lightly on his shoulders.

Inclining his head to show he had heard Sora's greeting, Setzer slowly moved towards them, the expression on his face changing to one of amusement. "We meet again, Sora. I must say, you certainly do have a way of picking up the strangest looking companions I've ever seen."

"Hey!" Donald shouted.

"For the record, they're not ghosts," Sora said quickly, stepping out of Naminé's way and giving the former struggle champion a sheepish grin.

Roxas jumped as Setzer's gaze came to rest on his transparent body, and crossing his arms over his chest, the former struggle champion said quietly, "No, clearly they are more than wraiths haunting the streets of Twilight Town."

"You mean, you're not scared of them?"

Raising his eyebrows at the Keyblade Master, Setzer said dryly, "I've never been one to believe in ghosts. Tempting fate, are you? That's a gamble I'm not sure even _I _would attempt."

_**"There are odds for everything. The trick is in the timing. Hit the window of opportunity just right, and a long shot will pay off big."**_

"Well, we kind of don't have a choice," Sora said slowly, smiling apologetically at the former struggle champion. "You see..."

"I take it this means you're not here to make due on your offer and challenge me to another struggle match?"

"Not exactly..."

"In that case, why don't you tell me about these ghostly friends of yours?" Setzer said quietly, his expression growing suddenly serious.

"We'd love to, but it's kind of a long story," Kairi interrupted, coming to Sora's rescue. "Maybe some other time, once things have settled down a little bit, but first there's something we need to ask you."

"Ask away, my dear. I could hardly refuse a request from a beautiful young lady such as you."

Feeling Sora tense beside him, Roxas put a restraining hand on the Keyblade Master's shoulder, and leaning close to his other half so they wouldn't be overheard, Roxas murmured, "Cool it, would you? Kairi's already made it pretty clear where she stands."

"I know that," Sora mumbled in response, glancing suspiciously at the former struggle champion. "She's not the one I'm worried about."

"You wouldn't happen to have seen, Hayner, Pence, or Olette lately, have you?" Kairi asked curiously, giving the former struggle champion her best smile.

Lifting his gaze to the brilliant orange sky hovering above the quiet streets of Twilight Town, Setzer nodded his head almost imperceptibly at the clock tower, an unreadable expression on his handsome face. Once a warm and comforting presence, a security blanket protecting the residents of Twilight Town, the sky now appeared dark and menacing, though it didn't actually look any different than it normally did. Nothing about the twilit atmosphere seemed particularly out of the ordinary, but even so the brilliant sunset sparkling in the distance appeared to be hiding something, as if it carried a terrible secret only those who belonged to the darkness could decipher.

_That's not me. Not anymore._

"They're up on the clock tower?" Riku demanded, squinting to get a better view of the platform circling the tower between the station itself and the giant hands of the clock, which were ticking pleasantly overhead.

_**"It's just not the same without all three of us..."**_

"They _were_ sitting up on the clock tower earlier this afternoon, but since then I have not seen them," Setzer replied, dismissing the Twilight Town trio with a wave of his hand. "Why don't you try the Sandlot? You might have better luck there."

"We tried there already," Donald grumbled, glaring at the former struggle champion.

"Gawrsh, what do we do now, Sora?" Goofy asked hesitantly, turning to the Keyblade Master for further instruction.

"Uh...well..."

"This darkness," Setzer murmured, holding out his arms as if to embrace the atmosphere of the town. "This feeling of solitude...It seems your luck has run out, Sora. I wonder...what do you intend to do about it?"

"I...What? Wait, you feel it, too?"

"The residents of this town wander the streets as if all is well, but little do they know there is a dark secret that waits as yet undiscovered in the shadows lurking at every corner."

"Just like Seifer and the other members of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee," Naminé said quietly, staring at Setzer in surprise.

"Very perceptive of you, young lady," Setzer agreed, giving Naminé a dazzling smile. "Ah, a vision of beauty to rival that of this stunning red-haired friend of yours. Contrary to what you might think, your lack of a physical form does not in any way diminish the loveliness of your beautiful smile."

Caught off guard, Naminé's cheeks turned pink at Setzer's unexpected compliment, and this time it was Roxas' turn to be annoyed. Glaring at the former struggle champion, he opened his mouth to make an angry retort, but before he could get the words out, Sora elbowed him in the ribs, forcing him to snap his mouth shut before a painful grunt could escape his lips.

"It is what we cannot see that constitutes the most dangerous threat," Setzer continued, acting for all the world as if he hadn't noticed the earlier commotion when clearly he had judging by the smirk on his face. "Though the threat exists, there are only a few who seem capable of detecting it. The empty streets tell us much we'd rather not know, but the residents turn a blind eye. They walk through the darkness and see only light, and thus their futures hang in the balance, caught somewhere in the middle. Twilight Town. How ironic. Such a fitting name."

"In more ways than one," Riku countered, turning his back on the former struggle champion.

Ignoring Riku, Setzer turned to Sora and said seriously, "What do you intend to do about the darkness threatening those who make this town their home? It seems fate has given you a bad hand, and now you'll have to do what you can with it. Are you up to the challenge, I wonder?"

"Why does everyone think what's happening to this town is my fault?" Sora complained, making a face.

"Not your fault, perhaps, but when fate has dealt you a hand in this game of good and evil, you have no choice but to play your cards, and do with them as you see fit."

"But-"

"Just remember," Setzer interrupted, whipping out his cards and fanning them out in his hand so that the king of hearts was displayed blatantly in the middle of the pack. "You may not have any control over the hand you are dealt, but how you play your cards is entirely up to you. Lady Luck is watching. Do not disappoint her, Sora."

Sora stared at the struggle champion for a moment, and smiling slightly, he said, "I won't."

"Then good luck to you. Only...perhaps you may not need it. Regardless of whether or not Lady Luck holds you in her favour, it seems you have a good luck charm of your own. One that even fate itself could not have foreseen. Perhaps, this game of chance we live is worth the proper risks after all."

Confused by Setzer's tendency to talk in riddles, Sora scratched the back of his head and said, "Huh?"

Instead of responding, Setzer quickly stepped around the Keyblade Master, and realizing all of a sudden that the former struggle champion was heading for him, Roxas quickly lowered his deep blue eyes in embarrassment, uncertain of how to react.

Before he could think up a reply, though, Setzer put a hand on his shoulder and said simply, "The hand of fate may be cruel sometimes, but that does not mean we should allow it to define our very existence."

Unable to look at the former struggle champion, Roxas mumbled, "But...what if you now share the same hand as someone else?"

"No one can share the same hand as someone else, but if your fate is tied to that of someone whose hand is similar to yours, all the more better to come up with a solution to this current predicament then, is it not?"

Instead of responding, Roxas gaped at the former struggle champion, his gaze quickly turning to Sora, who smiled at him, before once again returning to Setzer, and speaking around the lump in his throat, he said hastily, "Unlucky Number XIII. I wouldn't call myself a very good luck charm..."

_**"Number XIII. Such an unlucky number..."**_

Sweeping past him, his dark coat fluttering elegantly in the breeze, Setzer glanced back over his shoulder, his deep blue eyes sparkling like jewels in the twilit sun. "As beauty exists merely in the eye of the beholder, so does luck have a fickle tendency to surface in the most unexpected places, taking on forms that may not immediately be recognizable to all those around us. The hand you've been dealt has served you well so far. May it continue to guide you down the path you seek. Dawn is always lurking just around the corner...Roxas. Do not dwell _too _much on the twilit core of our existence. Not unless you want to miss the sunrise, of course."

_**"Everybody's got something they want to hang onto..."**_

At a loss for words, Roxas watched the former struggle champion disappear through the entrance to Station Heights, and feeling Sora's hand on his shoulder, he turned to look at the Keyblade Master, his wide, sapphire eyes emphasizing the look of disbelief on his face.

"No so forgotten after all, are you," Sora said softly, beaming at him and giving his shoulder a quick squeeze.

Shaking his head, Roxas managed to say, "I'm starting to run out of ideas. We've checked the usual spot, the Sandlot, the Tram Common, and the clock tower, and still no Hayner."

"We could always check the tunnels," Riku suggested, nodding his head towards tunnel entrance number five. "They might even be hanging out on Sunset Hill or wandering around Sunset Terrace."

"Gawrsh, I'd almost forgotten about the residential area of Twilight Town," Goofy interrupted, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Only...shouldn't we finish checking out this side of Twilight Town first?"

"Haven't we done that already?" Donald interrupted, waving his wand around the plaza for emphasis. "Where else is there to look?"

"Well...there _is _one place we haven't checked yet," Naminé said quietly, avoiding the court wizard's eyes. Clearly she had an idea of where to go next, but was reluctant to suggest it for reasons Roxas was sure had something to do with him.

_She must have noticed the way I acted earlier. And I don't mean all the confusion I feel over this Xion whom I can't even remember..._

Almost before the female Nobody had spoken, Roxas had already known what she was going to say, and somewhere deep inside the heart he shared with Sora, he felt a small spark of panic beginning to take shape.

"Where?" Kairi asked curiously, turning to look at her Nobody in surprise.

Without lifting her head, Naminé said in a voice so soft Roxas just barely heard her, "The forest. We still have to check out the forest and the old mansion..."


	5. Xion

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and so on.

**A/N: Back finally with another chapter! A chapter that actually wasn't supposed to happen, but somehow it made its way in. This story was supposed to move on to the forest, but then this kind of happened without me meaning for it to happen so the forest will have to wait until the next chapter. Anyways, enjoy!**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 5: Xion

_Roxas_

_Station Plaza, Twilight Town_

Shuddering almost, but not quite, imperceptibly at Naminé's suggestion, Roxas glanced uncertainly at the shiny surface of the Keyblade clenched tightly in his hand, and unable to look at the concerned faces of his friends, all of whom were staring at him as if they were afraid he might try to make a run for the Gummi Ship orbiting above Twilight Town, he mumbled, "Do we have to?"

"What's wrong, Roxas?" Naminé asked quietly, watching him closely.

_**"Saix called her broken..."**_

Roxas avoided the female Nobody's eyes, and shaking his head, he said quietly, "Like you don't already know."

"Actually, she doesn't. Not really," Riku interrupted, coming to Naminé's defence. "If I remember correctly, you were talking to _me _the last time we were in Twilight Town, not Naminé. How many times do I have to tell you? We really don't know that much more than you do. We remember...some things, but not everything. It will take a while before all of us gain back our _true _memories, and even then whether or not we manage to remember everything about the past is still kind of up in the air."

"But-"

"Even the little we know now, we were never meant to remember," Riku said quietly, his aqua eyes scanning the plaza for answers that seemed to be eluding him. "That much, Naminé knows for sure. How this is happening when it should be impossible, we don't know, but it _is_ happening and sooner or later all of the pieces of the puzzle are going to fall into place."

_**"She's smoke and mirrors, Roxas. And when I looked in the mirror...it wasn't you I saw."**_

"Riku!" Naminé gasped, whirling around to face the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

Shaking his head, Riku said quickly, "No, I didn't tell him anything. He's starting to remember, Naminé. Just like us."

For a moment, Naminé was silent, and watching her closely, Roxas was surprised to see that her sparkling blue eyes were filled with sadness. "Naminé?"

"Roxas, I...I'm sorry."

"Huh? For what?"

Naminé took his hand, the one not currently occupied by Oathkeeper, and wrapping it in both of hers, she said quietly, "I'm sorry for not saying anything sooner, but...Riku and I wanted you to start remembering without our help. I can't explain it, but for reasons I still don't understand, I feel like it's important for you to rely on your own memories, not the memories of others. I think...this is something you have to let happen naturally for it to work."

"Yeah, Riku said the same thing, but how, Naminé? How is this happening? If what you say is true, then how are we starting to remember something we were never meant to remember? How are we able to do the impossible? How do we distinguish the truth from the lies?"

"Maybe it's like with Castle Oblivion," Naminé said slowly, turning to gaze thoughtfully at the Keyblade Master, who was glancing back and forth between the two of them with an incredibly confused expression on his face. "Sora was never meant to retain any memories of Castle Oblivion, and yet for reasons we cannot explain entirely, after merging with you, he was eventually able to recall the entire incident."

Smiling softly, Roaxs said quietly, "Remembering one thing leads to remembering another and then another. I haven't forgotten what you said to me. Our memories are connected, like links in a chain, right?"

"Yes. Like his real memories, I don't think Sora ever forgot his memories of Castle Oblivion."

"But...if seeing you triggered Sora's memories of Castle Oblivion...then what could be triggering our memories of...of her?"

They both turned almost simultaneously to look at Kairi, and squeezing his hand, Naminé whispered, "Not all evidence has to be permanently erased. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have a familiar face around to remind us."

_**"Even if you take apart the chain of memories in my heart, the links will stay there. This memory will always be inside me somewhere."**_

Roxas dismissed the Keyblade in his hand, and placing his fingers against Naminé's cheek, he said softly, "Make that two faces. Naminé, what happened to her?"

"I don't know, Roxas, but...I do know it has something to do with me. I remember her name, I remember her face, and I remember, like us, she was never supposed to exist, but that's about all I know. Except for one other thing. She was never supposed to be remembered, just like the events of Castle Oblivion."

"Castle Oblivion...I was there once, with Axel, and now that I'm with Sora, free from Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, I know that's one memory I'll never forget."

_**"All these...pictures...rushing into my head..."**_

"That's right," Sora suddenly interrupted, stepping towards him and reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. "I remember. You went to Castle Oblivion with Axel, but because of me...because of all my memories, the atmosphere of that place was so overwhelming, it made you pass out. It was too much for you and you couldn't handle it. No wonder Axel wanted to leave..."

"Maybe that's another reason why Sora was able to remember Castle Oblivion," Naminé said thoughtfully, a faint smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

Confused, Roxas blurted out, "What do you mean?"

"You were at Castle Oblivion, too. All those memories...even though Sora forgot, you still remembered. Even as he slept, those images were ingrained permanently inside of you. Inside your heart. Those memories weren't just Sora's and he was never alone in experiencing them. Those memories were always inside his heart, inside you, even if he couldn't remember them himself. The links in your chain of memories can be taken apart, but they can never be broken."

"But...that still doesn't explain her..."

"Maybe it does. You aren't the only one with memories of her. Though we've forgotten, her memory hasn't been entirely erased like it should have been. Kairi is a perfect example of that. Her appearance alone is a permanent mark of what we've forgotten, which means we can never truly forget. There are always loopholes in the chain, but...I think the real key lies with Sora. I can't explain it, but I think her memory lives inside of Sora. I _feel_ it. When it comes to our memories, we can try to suppress them, we can try to forget them, but our true memories, the ones that matter to us most, whether they were real or not, we can never forget. Try as we might, they are forever burned into our hearts. A brand that can never be erased."

"Her memory lives in...Sora?"

Naminé reached out to take Sora's hand, and smiling at the Keyblade Master, she said firmly, "Yes, and if we continue to let our memories come to us naturally, without trying to force them, Sora will give us the answers. He won't let us forget."

_**"Guess he musta rubbed off on me."**_

_**"Huh? Who did?"**_

_**"Heh. Let's just say you can thank yourself that we get to sit here again and laugh like idiots over ice cream."**_

_Sora..._

"Who are you really? And why do you have a Keyblade_?_" Riku murmured, turning to gaze unseeingly at the twilit sun shining faintly in the distance.

Roxas looked up in surprise, and frowning at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade, uncertain of whether or not to intrude, he said hesitantly, "Riku?"

Without looking at him, Riku said, "I'm no different from you or Naminé. I have flashes of memories in my head, of a face I know so well, and a name that means nothing to me, though for reasons I can't explain, the name seems somehow familiar. It _feels_ familiar."

"Like it does with me."

Riku twirled his Keyblade lightly in his hand, the twilit sun reflecting off its shiny surface, and shaking his head, he said dryly, "You could say I am...the biggest nobody of them all."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Just a memory. Do you see now why Naminé and I kept quiet? It's important that we let ourselves remember our own memories of her first. Then, once we do, we can put all of our memories together to fill in all the gaps. That's the only way all of the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place where they belong. Once our memories have returned to us, you can be the one to tell Sora the truth about the past. Only you can do that, which is why you have to remember for yourself. Sora might be the key to our lost memories, but that doesn't mean he understands what's going on."

"Actually, now that you mention it, I have no clue what's going on," Sora interrupted, glaring accusingly at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade.

"Neither do I," Kairi added, gazing curiously at her Nobody. "What are you guys talking about?"

"None of you are making any sense!" Donald complained.

"Gawrsh, I'm more confused now than I was when there were two Twilight Towns," Goofy said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Who is this girl you guys keep talking about?" Sora demanded, impatiently crossing his arms over his chest. "It's obviously not Kairi or Naminé, and I'm pretty sure you're not talking about Olette."

"Remember, Roxas," Riku said quietly, gazing directly into his eyes. "Only you have the right to tell Sora about your past. He needs to hear it from you. Only you have the right to tell Sora who you are and how you came to be the person you are today. No one else."

_I understand now. Riku and Naminé. They want to protect me. Me and Sora..._

Roxas took a deep breath, and slowly he placed his hands on Sora's shoulders, ignoring the fact that he could feel his whole body trembling. Gazing directly into the Keyblade Master's eyes, he managed to whisper, "Xion."

_The girl I can't remember. The girl who sat with me and Axel. The girl who wore our coat..._

For a moment, Sora merely stared back at him, and then almost against his will, the Keyblade Master said quietly, "I worry about you all the time, Roxas."

_It really is her!_

Though Sora did worry about him a lot, Roxas knew instinctively that those words did not belong to the Keyblade Master.

They were her words. Xion's.

_**"Well, we may both be exceptional, Roxas. But I don't think we're the same."**_

Startled, Sora clapped a hand over his mouth in surprise, and looking a little bit embarrassed, the Keyblade Master said hastily "Sorry, I...I don't know where that came from..."

_No, not yet, but I have a feeling sooner or later the two of us are going to find out..._

To his surprise, Roxas felt a sudden spark of affection for the Keyblade Master and his naivety, and smiling, he said, "It's okay. I guess...you both feel the same way."

"Huh?"

"Forget it. It's not important."

"Roxas, who is Xion?" Sora asked curiously, abruptly changing the subject.

"I don't know. I don't remember."

_Except...I think she might have been a member of the Organization. But...how can that be? We were always only thirteen..._

"What do you mean you don't remember?"

Turning his face away, Roxas said quietly, "I think...there's a lot that you and I still need to learn about my past."

_And maybe I know more than Riku and Naminé..._

"You mean...Xion is someone from the past?"

"I think so, but I can't be sure."

"Maybe not, but Naminé and I are pretty sure," Riku interrupted, a frown on his face.

Glancing at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade, Roxas said slowly, "I don't get it. Both you and Naminé barely know more about her, Xion, than I do, but...you guys started to remember sooner than me. Why is that?"

"Roxas, though it happened in different ways, both you and Sora lost all of your memories of the past, and you've had to spend a lot of time gaining them back again," Naminé said quietly, clasping her hands together beneath her chin and giving him a warm smile. "Is it any wonder it's taken you so long to start recalling the face of someone you were never meant to remember? Riku and I never lost our memories so we haven't had as much information to sift through in order to search for the truth."

"We haven't had to spend time restringing the chain that links all of our memories back together again," Riku explained, waving aside the question with a flick of his wrist. "Unlike you and Sora, we haven't had to work as hard to remember our pasts. The girl, Xion, is just another memory in a long line of past events that you're going to have to rebuild inside your heart like you have with all your other memories."

"But unlike what happened to me, this isn't something Naminé's going to be able to help with, is it," Sora said quietly, interrupting before Roxas had a chance to respond.

Studying his best friend closely, Riku said quietly, "No, this is something he has to do on his own, but...a little help from the other side of his heart couldn't hurt."

For a moment, Sora looked a little bit confused, but then his face lit up with sudden understanding, and he said, "Yeah, I can do that."

_What?_

Roxas jerked around to stare at the Keyblade Master in surprise, a frown on his face. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know who this Xion is, but...if she's that important to you then we'll find out together."

"We'll _all _help you," Kairi said firmly, reaching out to give his hand a quick squeeze.

"But-"

"I haven't forgotten what Riku said. We might not be able to help you directly, but we can still give you our support."

"Gawrsh, Kairi's right," Goofy said cheerfully, nodding vigorously in agreement. "Isn't that what friends are for?"

"Just don't take forever to figure it out," Donald grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "We have enough problems to deal with as it is."

Overcome with emotion, Roxas took a deep breath and said hastily, "Thanks, guys. I'm counting on you."

"Is this what was bugging you earlier?" Sora asked quietly, leaning close to whisper the words quietly in his ear.

"Um...not exactly. Well, it's part of it, but not the whole thing."

"Huh?"

Roxas blushed, and moving closer to Sora, he mumbled, "Later."

_There's nothing in the forest. It's just my imagination._

"Roxas, what was Xion like?" Kairi asked softly, her deep blue eyes growing dark and stormy.

"Well...I don't remember much, at least not when it comes to how she acted and who she was, but..."

"But what?"

Gazing into Kairi's eyes, he said quietly, "Her face. She looked like you. Like you and Naminé, only her hair was black. Even her voice sounded like yours. And her eyes...She had your eyes, just like Naminé does..."

Kairi stared at him for a moment, and nodding her head, she said firmly, "You'll remember, Roxas. I know you will. We believe in you. All of us do."

"I know."

_But...what about Axel? He'll never have a chance to remember her now...Not like me..._

"Are you ready to go now?" Riku demanded, interrupting his thoughts.

Roxas brushed past the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade, and heading towards the entrance to Station Heights, he glanced over his shoulder and said shortly, "What do you think? And for the record, it wasn't Xion that was worrying me earlier."

_The forest...am I really just imagining things or..._

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Roxas just managed to catch the looks of surprise on both Riku's and Naminé's faces before disappearing around the corner of the garage to his right in a huff_, _leaving the others to stare after him in astonishment._  
_


	6. Memories

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, or in other words this awesome gaming franchise.

**A/N: Hello, everyone! Sorry about the wait, but I am back with another chapter. Just to inform you all, I believe at this point in time this story will have either nine or ten chapters, so we're at the half way point now. Hope you all like this newest update! (I'll make sure to check the chapter again for any mistakes I might have missed.)  
**

Chapter 6: Memories

_Roxas_

_The Woods/ Old Mansion, Twilight Town  
_

The walk back to the Tram Common was a quiet affair, and standing just outside the entrance to the forest, Roxas squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to gain control over his emotions, which only succeeded in making him even more nervous.

He had to admit, he was afraid, but despite his fear, he knew this was something he had to do.

_For Hayner, Pence, and Olette. For Axel and Xion..._

_**"I hope we always have each other."**_

His own words, and he had meant every one of them.

_Some things you can let go, but when it comes to the people who are most important to you, you have to fight. You can't give up. Sora never gave up on searching for his friends and neither can I._

"Roxas?" Sora suddenly said quietly in his ear, tugging on his arm to get his attention. "It's now or never. You do want to find your friends, don't you?"

"Of course I do! It's just..."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I..."

"You can't fool me," Sora said simply, a slight frown on the Keyblade Master's face. "This is more than just about Xion. Something about this place bothers you. What's going on?"

"I thought you said you weren't going to try to force me to talk."

"I don't want to, but...I'm worried. I'm worried by the time you tell me, it might be too late."

Roxas could see the disappointment and uncertainty in the Keyblade Master's eyes, and feeling guilty, he pulled Sora closer and whispered, "I'm sorry, I just...I can't right now."

"But-"

"Look, Sora, just...stay with me, okay? Stay close and be careful. I...I'll feel better if you're with me."

"It's the woods, isn't it. Or maybe...the mansion?"

"How did you..."

"You've been acting strange ever since we left the forest the last time we were here," Sora said slowly, looking away from him. "I might not always pick up on all the little details right away, but that doesn't mean you can fool me either, especially since you're my Nobody."

_**"I have to find this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way! I want Xion back! I want my life back!"**_

He had gotten his life back, but what about Xion?

"Roxas."

Roxas turned slowly to look at the Keyblade Master, and staring directly into Sora's eyes, he said quietly, "It wasn't just about me. Why I wanted to find you so badly. It was about _her_ too...and you know..._him_."

_Axel, Xion..._

Roxas jumped when Sora's arm suddenly went around his shoulders, and leaning close the Keyblade Master said quietly, "I'll stay with you. If that's what you want, I won't leave your side. We're going to save them, Roxas. _All _of your friends."

"But...Axel..."

_You can't save somebody who's already gone. What if the same thing is true for Xion? What if she's gone forever, like Axel?_

Roxas didn't expect Sora to reply, so he was surprised when the Keyblade Master said shortly, "Never say never."

"Huh? But you said..."

"I can't bring Axel back, I know," Sora interrupted, a slight smile on his face. "But maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

Sora refused to answer, but he didn't have to. Roxas already knew what the Keyblade Master had been about to say.

_"But maybe _you_ can."_

_Axel..._

"Are you guys coming or are you just going to stand around here all day?" Riku demanded, startling Roxas out of his thoughts.

He turned to see the others standing in front of the entrance to the forest, clearly waiting for both him and Sora to join them, and smiling sadly, Naminé murmured, "Hayner and the others are waiting for us."

"Wherever they are," Donald grumbled.

"Right. Sorry, guys, I just...forget it. Come on, Sora."

Without waiting for an answer, Roxas dragged his Other into the woods and glancing nervously between the tall trees he felt a slight shiver race down his spine. As usual, the forest was dark, much darker than the rest of Twilight Town, and the trees seemed to be whispering to him, calling out his name. A quick glance behind him proved they weren't being followed, but despite the lack of anything out of the ordinary, he still felt like they were being watched. Perhaps not by someone, but by _something._

_There are eyes everywhere. It's like the forest itself is watching us._

Or maybe it wasn't the forest. Maybe it was the shadows lurking between the trees, following their every move.

"Gawrsh, I never realized before how creepy it is in here," Goofy whispered, glancing anxiously back towards the entrance to the Tram Common.

"What are you talking about?" Donald snorted. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark. It's just a bunch of trees."

"Maybe, but they have their secrets too," Naminé said quietly, reaching out to take Kairi's hand and giving it a tight squeeze.

"Stay on your guard," Sora warned.

Compared to Oblivion, which Sora was carrying over his shoulders, Oathkeeper was much easier to spot in the heavy gloom of the forest, and clinging tightly to the Keyblade in his hand, Roxas silently followed Sora through the trees, his sapphire eyes darting towards either side of the path they'd chosen.

There were no Heartless or Nobodies, but there was something. He could feel it, and it was making him edgy.

_But how do I explain it to Sora and the others when I don't even understand what it is I'm feeling myself? The last time we were here...I know I saw something. It couldn't have just been my imagination. Something moved in the darkness, near the entrance to the mansion. It wasn't a Heartless because our Keyblades would have warned us, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Nobody either. My Samurai Nobodies would have warned me if there was another Nobody close by. Unless it only appeared after they left..._

Whatever the case, he knew he couldn't deny it anymore. He had seen something, and whatever that something was he was pretty sure he hadn't seen the last of it.

So far, this time nothing had moved. Even the shadows were almost stationary in their appearance and the forest was oddly still and silent.

_**"The three of us...We're inseparable."**_

_If only that were true...**  
**_

It should have made him feel a little better, but instead it almost made him feel even more nervous.

_It's almost like the forest is waiting...waiting for something to happen._

"This way," Riku instructed, motioning for the rest of the group to follow him. "We're almost there."

Roxas could see faint sunlight up ahead, shining through the forest, and peering through the trees he spotted the opening in the woods that would lead them directly to the gates of the old mansion.

Only something didn't feel right. Something was off.

"Wait!"

It was only when the others turned to look at him that Roxas realized the desperate cry echoing through the trees came from him, and blushing slightly he quickly looked at his feet, trying unsuccessfully to hide his embarrassment.

"What's wrong, Roxas?" Kairi asked gently, encouraging him to speak.

Still embarrassed over his sudden outburst, Roxas wasn't quite sure how to explain himself, but as he continued to gaze in the direction of the mansion, he forced himself to say, "There's something about this whole thing that...bugs me."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked curiously.

"This forest...Look, we have no idea what's waiting for us at the mansion, and I feel like we're missing something..."

"And what exactly do you want us to do about it?" Riku demanded, studying him closely.

Roxas didn't reply. Instead, he closed his eyes and proceeded to call out to the darkness of The World That Never Was and almost instantly two of his Samurai Nobodies appeared in front of him.

"Yikes!" Donald quacked, leaping backwards and almost dropping his staff in surprise. "Don't _do _that, Roxas!"

"A-hyuck, you sure scare easily, Donald," Goofy teased.

"Quiet you! I wasn't asking for your opinion!"

"Next time warn us first," Kairi laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

Roxas managed a sheepish grin and turning to his Nobodies, he said, "That was quick."

_"You called, my liege?" _the Samurai Nobody on the right inquired, leaning down to peer closely at him.

"Yes, I did. Something about this place doesn't sit right with me. I want you two to check it out before we go any further, just to be safe. Look for anything out of the ordinary and report back to me whether you sense anything suspicious or not. I want to know what's going on."

_"Yes, my liege. We shall return in a moment."_

True to their word, the two Samurai Nobodies took off, their sleek bodies moving through the trees, like silver streaks of light spinning through the darkness, and crossing his arms over his chest, he waited in silence, conscious of the fact that it still felt like the forest was watching him.

_**"I don't have any dark secrets."**_

"Roxas, what are they looking for?" Sora asked hesitantly, his deep blue eyes following the two Nobodies and their progress as they made their way through the trees.

"I'm not sure."

_And maybe I don't want to know..._

"But-"

"We'll just have to wait and see. Here they come now."

Roxas waited until the two Nobodies were once again hovering in front of him, and studying them closely, he said calmly, "Well? What have you found out?"

_"There is nothing here, my liege," _the Samurai Nobody on the left whispered softly in his head. _"The forest is silent."_

_"Nothing but old memories remain," _the Nobody on the right murmured.

"Old memories? What do you mean?"

The right Nobody turned its head slowly to gaze in the direction of the old mansion, and making a soft sound deep in its throat, it whispered, _"This forest is full of memories. The mansion, as well. The hearts of the innocent have suffered here. Bleeding hearts for those they've saved and those they cannot save."_

_"Those they _feel_ they cannot save," _the left Nobody added.

_What?_

Roxas stared at his Samurai Nobodies in shock, and turning to look at Sora beside him, he flinched when he realized the Keyblade Master had also heard their words.

"Bleeding...hearts?" Sora said slowly, a slight frown on his face.

_"There are painful memories here," _the right Samurai Nobody agreed, nodding to the Keyblade Master in acknowledgment. "_A perfect place for the Heartless to feed."_

"Are there Heartless here?" Sora demanded.

_"No, only memories."_

"Whose memories?"

_"Yours and all those who are close to you. Those who call you 'friend' and those who share their hearts with you."_

Roxas hesitated before saying, "You mean me?"

_"Those who are remembered and those who are not."_

"You mean...Xion?" Sora gasped.

Neither of the two Nobodies answered. Instead they merely stood there waiting, their silence speaking volumes.

_**"You mean...real people are more complex than us?"**_

_**"Well sure! Especially if they're real and female. That's like a double dose of complicated."**_

"What did they say?" Donald demanded, looking impatient. "Come on, tell us."

_Xion..._

Roxas turned to his Nobodies and said hastily, "Anything else to report?"

_"No, my liege," _the left Nobody replied.

"I see. Okay then, you guys can head back. What about The World That Never Was?"

_"The same, my liege. All is quiet."_

"Figures."

The Samurai Nobody on the left quickly disappeared, but the one on the right remained, its head turned in the direction of the mansion.

"What?"

The Samurai Nobody seemed to hesitate for a moment and lifting its head, it whispered, _"He is the key, my liege. The memories tell me this is so. The residue left behind by the hearts of those who've passed through here cannot lie. Neither can the Nobodies who've wandered these woods. Those tied to the mansion...Humans and Nobodies. Perhaps we are not so different. Be careful, my liege. All is not as it seems."_

_Huh?  
_

Roxas was about to reply, but before he could get a single word out, his Samurai Nobody disappeared, leaving him in darkness.

"Roxas, what did they say?" Naminé asked quietly, urging him to reply.

_All is not as it seems...What does that mean? _

It took Roxas a few moments to tell the others what his Nobodies had said, and when he was done they stared at him in silence, contemplating his words.

At last, Riku said shortly, "Are you satisfied then? We can keep moving?"

"I guess..."

"Old memories," Naminé mumbled to herself, a faraway look in her eyes. "Do you think maybe the mansion might give us some clues about Xion?"

"There's only one way to find out," Kairi insisted. "Let's visit the mansion ourselves and see what we can find. Who knows? We might even get lucky and run into Hayner and the others. They've always been pretty fascinated by this place, especially Pence."

Roxas looked at Sora, who stared back at him, and blushing he quickly ducked his head. He hadn't told the others about his Samurai Nobody's final warning, but Sora knew.

The Keyblade Master knew. He had heard the words and he was going to get to the bottom of it, whatever the cost. Roxas could tell.

_No wonder Axel was always telling me to cool it. Sora and I really are a lot alike..._

"Come on, then. We need to hurry," Riku insisted, once again moving towards the entrance to the old mansion.

They reached the gate to their destination in silence, and Roxas felt his heart leap into his throat.

The gate was open.

"Gawrsh, you think maybe Hayner and the others really are here?" Goofy asked hopefully, though he didn't look all that convinced himself.

"Only one way to find out!" Donald declared, lifting his staff into the air and pointing it towards the mansion. "Let's go."

"It sure feels good to be out of the forest," Kairi sighed, a slight smile on her face. "It's so dark in there compared to here."

Roxas had to agree. It was a huge relief to be free of the shadows lurking in the forest, but before he could voice his opinion, Sora suddenly collapsed in front of the open gates to the mansion, his face turning a ghostly shade of white.

"Sora!" Naminé cried, running to the Kayblade Master's side and kneeling next to him.

_Sora!_

Roxas knelt on Sora's other side and placing his hand on the Keyblade Master's shoulder, he said hesitantly, "Sora?"

Instead of answering, Sora suddenly leaped to his feet, nearly knocking Roxas off balance, and whirling around the Keyblade Master walked a few feet way from the gate before turning to once again look at the mansion.

"Sora?" Kairi gasped, concern evident on her face.

"They were here," the Keyblade Master said quietly, his sapphire gaze focusing on the ground just in front of the gate, as if he were seeing something they couldn't see.

Roxas slowly moved to stand next to Sora, his heart pounding frantically in his ears. He wanted to say something, but instead he waited, knowing that Sora would tell him.

"They were here," Sora insisted, waving his Keyblade at the gate for emphasis. "Axel and...and _her_..."

"What...what are you talking about?"

Sora's face crumpled, and the look in his eyes made Roxas wince. "Axel...he was standing right where I'm standing now, and she was there."

"You mean...by the gate?"

"So...much...pain..."

"Sora?"

Sora suddenly sank to his knees again, and staring at the gate, he mumbled, "Everybody thinks they're right..."

"Huh?"

"That's what he said."

"You mean...Axel?"

"She wanted to go back," Sora gasped, once again pointing Oblivion at the gate, his sapphire eyes full of pain and his breath coming in short spurts. "She wore the coat. She looked like Kairi. She had the Keyblade! But...she wanted to go back. She wanted to leave."

_No. Xion, why?_

Roxas collapsed onto the ground next to Sora again, and clinging tightly to the Keyblade Master's shoulder, he said urgently, "Go where?"

"I don't know. But...Axel didn't want her to go."

"He...didn't?"

Sora leaped to his feet again and gazing at a face only he could see, the Keyblade Master said firmly, "He thought it was the right thing to do, too, but it didn't matter. He wanted her to stay."

"Axel..."

"He...he said..."

"What?" Riku demanded, growing impatient.

"Go on, you just keep running," Sora murmured, as if he were seeing the scene from someone else's eyes, his Keyblade dropping to his side. "But I'll always be there to bring you back. That's what he said. Always."

_Xion's eyes. He's seeing it from her eyes. Axel...he really did care...  
_

Roxas stared at the spot where, according to Sora, the girl he couldn't remember had confronted Axel, and before he knew what was happening, there were tears in his eyes.

_**"It's for the good of everyone**_."

But was it really? He didn't know.

_**"You both...think you can do whatever you want..."**_

"Come on, Sora, we should get going," Kairi suddenly said quietly, reaching out to take the Keyblade Master's hand. "It's time to go."

Sora allowed himself to be pulled towards the gate, and shaking his head, he said with a faint smile on his face, "Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?"

"What are you going on about?" Donald demanded, eyeing the Keyblade Master with suspicion.

"Nothing. Just a memory, I think."

_"Axel, Xion..."_

Roxas remained standing there even after Sora and the others had already entered through the gates, the strong presence of his two friends from the past swirling around him like a thick fog, and shaking his head he lifted his sapphire eyes to gaze at the twilit atmosphere hovering over the old mansion and the trees obscuring it from the rest of Twilight Town.

_Xion...what happened to you?_

"Roxas!"

Roxas jumped in surprise at the sound of Naminé's voice and whirling around he spotted the female Nobody, along with Sora, waving to him from the gates to the mansion.

"Come on," Sora shouted, motioning for him to hurry.

Roxas quickly summoned Oathkeeper again, his hands clenching tightly around the Keyblade's shiny surface, and racing over to his Other's side, he gasped, "What's going on?"

"Look!" Sora insisted, pointing towards the mansion.

Roxas did as he was told and instantly spotting what Sora was trying to show him, he sank to the ground in relief.

Standing just inside the front doors to the mansion were his friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette.


	7. Fade Away

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney, and so on. You get my drift.

**A/N: Sorry everyone about the wait, but I am finally back with another chapter! Thank you to everyone for your reviews, I have enjoyed reading every one of them. I'm glad to know that you guys think I've been doing a good job with the characters and their personalities, and I will continue to do so to the best of my ability. I know a lot of my KH fics have not had a lot of action, so to speak, and this one will most likely be much like the first two in that sense, but if I decide to continue on after this third story that will most likely change. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this new chapter! (I'll make sure to check for any missed mistakes.)  
**

Chapter 7: Fade Away

_Sora_

_Old Mansion, Twilight Town  
_

"They're really here," Roxas sighed in relief, Oathkeeper disappearing instantly from his hands. "Hayner..."

_Looks like we weren't too late after all, but...I don't get it. What are Hayner and the others doing here at the mansion? Do they think this place might have something to do with whatever has been going on in this town lately?_

Sora silently shook his head, confused by his own thoughts, and kneeling next to Roxas he gave the golden-haired Nobody's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Well, then what are we waiting for? Let's go find out what they've been up to this whole time. The moogle at the shop did say they were trying to figure out what's been happening around here. Let's see if they've found anything out."

"Right. I...thanks, Sora."

_I'm not going to let you down this time. Not like I did before..._

Sora could tell Roxas was waiting for a reply, but instead of answering he grabbed the golden-haired Nobody's hand and quickly pulled him to his feet. "Come on."

"Hayner, Pence, Olette!" Kairi called out, waving her hands in the air to get the Twilight Town trio's attention. "Over here!"

At the sound of Kairi's voice, Hayner jerked around in surprise, and catching sight of Roxas, his face broke into a huge grin. "Roxas!"

Sora smiled as Roxas managed a weak grin in return and giving himself a mental shake, the golden-haired Nobody called out, "Hey, guys. Uh...what are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing!" Pence shot back, leaping over the broken pillars in front of the mansion and hurrying over to join them, Hayner and Olette right on his heels. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here, but we didn't expect to see you so soon after your last visit to Twilight Town."

"Same here, but...something's come up."

"You mean the way Twilight Town feels so dark and creepy, and how there's not a lot of people hanging around," Hayner said bluntly, making a face.

"Yeah, the moogle at the shop mentioned something about how you guys were going to mount a search to figure out what's been going on around here."

"That's right," Olette agreed, smiling at the golden-haired Nobody. "We were thinking of maybe getting the whole town involved, but...as you can see, there's not exactly a lot of people around whom we can ask to help us out, so it's just been the three of us."

"And I wasn't asking Seifer for help," Hayner grumbled, a stubborn look on his face.

"So...how come you guys are here?" Pence asked curiously. "It can't just be a coincidence that you managed to show up here again just in time to witness the weirdness going on in this town."

"That's right," Hayner interrupted, his eyebrows narrowing into a deep frown. "If you guys are here now then that means you must know a least a little bit about what's been going on around here lately, so let's hear it. What's happening to our town?"

Sora exchanged a quick look with Roxas, and turning to Hayner, he said slowly, "We're not really sure. We were all back on Destiny Islands getting ready to say goodbye to Goofy and Donald, who were heading back to Disney Castle, when Chip and Dale, who help Donald and Goofy run the Gummi Ship, noticed something strange on the Gummi Ship's radar system."

"Something...strange?" Olette replied, shaking her head in confusion. "Like what?"

"Well...it's kind of hard to explain, but Chip and Dale noticed this strange aura kind of hovering around Twilight Town, and it was almost obscuring the town's signal on the Gummi Ship's radar system."

"It's not like what happened the last time with Twilight Town," Riku added, seeing the look on Hayner's face. "This time, the Gummi Ship's radar system only shows one Twilight Town instead of two, so it definitely can't be the same thing as what went on with Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town."

"So...then what _is _going on?" Pence asked hesitantly, glancing at Hayner, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

Sora hesitated before replying, "From what Chip and Dale told us, it looks like Twilight Town's been covered by a huge cloud of darkness; like a really thick mist."

"You know, a dark fog," Donald grumbled, whacking his staff impatiently against the side of his foot. "That's what they said. It's like there's a dark fog hovering over the entire town. Very screwy."

"Any idea where it's coming from?" Olette asked anxiously, nervously twisting her fingers together.

_I wish I knew._

For the sake of his golden-haired Nobody, Sora wished he had an answer, but he didn't, and he knew no matter what he said, the three teens from Twilight Town would be disappointed by his answer. "We have no idea, but according to Chip and Dale it's getting worse and worse the longer we stand around doing nothing."

"It makes even less sense because it just kind of appeared out of nowhere," Kairi insisted, clearly frustrated by their inability to give clear insight into what was really going on. "One minute Twilight Town looks just as it always does, and then the next minute..."

"It's covered in darkness," Hayner finished, nodding to Kairi to show he understood her frustration. "Man, this really stinks."

_It really is almost like the darkness just kind of appeared out of nowhere, but did it really? The last time we were here, I felt it then too. It wasn't as strong or as noticeable, but I could still feel it. And the people...there were less people around then, too, but it wasn't quite as obvious._

And he knew he wasn't the only one who had felt it then either. At the time, Roxas had done his best to humour Hayner, but Sora had seen the uneasiness in his golden-haired Nobody's eyes.

_He could feel it just as much as I could, and the others...It's like Roxas said. Riku, Kairi, Naminé, and Pence. They all noticed it, and even Donald, Goofy, Hayner, and Olette must have felt it, though they hadn't noticed at the time..._

Something about the look on his face must have alerted Roxas to what he was thinking because the golden-haired Nobody suddenly put a comforting arm around his shoulders and said slowly to Hayner, "Do you...remember the last time Sora and I were here with our friends? You know...when we were in the Tram Common getting ready to make our way through the tunnels to get to Sunset Terrace?"

"Sora and Pence were going on about the place being pretty empty considering what time of day it was. They thought something seemed a little off. Yeah, I remember."

_I know what Roxas said, but still...I can't help thinking it's still my fault. I should have done something instead of waiting._

For a moment, Hayner and Roxas merely stared at each other, and crossing his arms over his chest, Hayner said slowly, "I'm guessing you think that has something to do with what's going on here right now?"

"It was the same feeling, Hayner. It wasn't as strong then as it is now, but it's still the same thing. We think that's why this weird dark fog surrounding Twilight Town didn't appear on the Gummi Ship's radar system at the time. The signal wasn't as strong then as it is now. We're not sure, but...we think something must have happened between now and then to make it worse."

"That would explain why it's been progressing at such an astonishing rate," Pence agreed, a thoughtful look on his face. "A week isn't exactly a huge expanse of time, so for the darkness to have gotten this bad so fast..."

"Something big must have happened," Goofy said solemnly, shaking his head in despair.

"And you guys don't have any idea what's causing it?" Olette sighed.

"None," Riku agreed, though he didn't look all the concerned about the fact that they were fumbling in the darkness.

Quite literally, in fact.

_I wish I could stay as calm and cool as Riku..._

"Hey, Sora, listen..." Hayner said slowly, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry for not taking you seriously earlier. You know...when you said there was something wrong with the town."

Sora had to smile, and giving the blond struggler an affectionate pat on the back, he said cheerfully, "Don't worry about it. There's no way you could have guessed that anything like this would have happened."

"I know, but..."

"I already went through this with Sora," Roxas interrupted, frowning at the blond struggler. "It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done. I'm just glad that you're okay. I...I was really worried about you guys. When we couldn't find you at the usual spot or at the Sandlot, or even at the station...I..."

Without a word, Olette flung her arms around the golden-haired Nobody's neck and hugging him tightly against her chest, she mumbled, "We're okay. You shouldn't worry about us so much."

"There's no way we're going to leave you behind again," Pence said firmly, giving the golden-haired Nobody's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

Roxas snapped his eyes shut for a moment, and taking a deep breath he slowly opened them to look at Hayner, his face a mask of emotion. "Sorry, I just..."

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Hayner shot back, cutting Roxas off and gazing directly into the golden-haired Nobody's sapphire eyes. "Go ahead and try, it'll get you nowhere."

_**"It's scary to think I could lose you guys."**_

Gazing at Hayner, Roxas finally smiled, and reaching out he put an arm around the blond struggler's shoulders. "I know. Thanks, I needed that."

"What are best friends for, right?"

_Just like me and Riku._

Sensing Riku's eyes on him, Sora turned to look at his best friend and realizing he was being watched in turn, Riku gave him a small smile before turning back to Hayner. "So...what exactly are you guys doing here anyway?"

"Yes, tell us," Naminé insisted. "Why would you come here to a place like this? To a place with so many painful memories."

_Axel, Xion, and Roxas. All of them suffered here. I feel it...even though I don't know who this Xion is. She had the coat, though. She must have been one of them, and if she was important to Roxas then that means she's important to me too..._

"Well," Pence began, choosing his words carefully, "we searched the rest of the town, but we couldn't find any clues to help us and this place...A lot of weird things have happened here at the mansion. It's a pretty creepy place. Ask anyone here in Twilight Town. Not that you need to. You guys know better than anyone. We thought, since this place always seems to be at the centre of all the weird things that happen in Twilight Town, that it might have something to do with what's going on right now."

"It was Pence's idea," Olette interrupted, a slight smile on her face. "He thought maybe we should check it out, and since it's the last place left for us to look, we figured we might as well see what we could find. It wasn't like we had very many options left."

"And you know Pence, saving the best for last," Hayner snorted.

"Gawrsh, were you able to find out anything new?" Goofy asked eagerly, glancing nervously at the mansion.

Pence shook his head, and smiling sheepishly, he said, " We haven't actually been inside the mansion yet. We were just about to enter when you guys showed up."

"Why don't we all go in together then and have a look?" Naminé suggested, smiling at Pence. "Since all of us are looking for the same thing."

"What?" Roxas shouted, staring at Naminé in disbelief. "You actually want to go in there?"

"It's worth a shot," Riku said mildly, smiling in amusement. "You heard Hayner. They've been everywhere else and so have we. What exactly have we found out? Absolutely nothing. We want to figure out what's going on here just as much as they do. That's the whole reason we're even here to begin with, so we might as well have a look and see what we can find. This mansion has a habit of giving away secrets, even without meaning to."

"And besides, it may give us a clue about Xion," Naminé insisted, reaching out to give Roxas' hand a quick squeeze. "Or have you forgotten already? You do want to find out more about her, don't you?"

"You know I do, but this place..."

"Who's Xion?" Hayner asked curiously, scratching his head in confusion.

"Later," Riku replied, slipping past Hayner and making his way towards the entrance to the mansion. "First let's see what we can find."

Sora hesitated, allowing the others to get ahead of him, and glancing over his shoulder at the gates to the mansion he gazed quietly at the spot where Xion had stood her ground against Axel.

_Xion...I don't understand. Why are her memories floating around inside my head? At least, I think they're her memories, but I can't be sure. It's like with Roxas. His memories are inside me, too, but it's also different somehow. I can't explain it, but I feel like she's right here with me..._

"Sora?" Roxas suddenly said softly in his ear, tugging gently on his arm.

The golden-haired Nobody must have come back for him, but despite the comforting presence of his other half standing beside him, he didn't move from his position on the grass.

_Xion...You had to go away, just like Roxas. Is it...maybe because of me? Is it my fault you had to disappear?_

"Sora, hey, what is it?"

"I..."

Sora could barely answer, despite the fact that Roxas was clearly waiting for a reply. His thoughts must have shown on his face, though, because Roxas looked suddenly serious and there was an edge to his voice. "What's wrong?"

"Roxas, I...I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

"Xion. She had to go away...and...I think it might have been my fault."

_No...It _is_ my fault..._

His sudden outburst left him feeling cold and numb inside, and he found himself unable to look at Roxas. So certain was he of his words, though he had no proof, he knew there was no way Roxas could convince him otherwise.

"Sora?"

He had no choice. He had to look up, and gazing into his Nobody's sapphire eyes, he found himself unable to look away. Though they were a part of each other, for the first time since merging Sora didn't know what to expect from his other half, so he was surprised when Roxas suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into fierce hug.

"What..."

"Listen to me, Sora," Roxas said fiercely in his ear, almost daring him to disobey. "None of this is your fault. No one has the right to blame you for any of this. Not even you."

"But...I made you disappear."

"And look where I am now! Don't tell me you've lost your faith in Naminé. I'm still here, aren't I? I didn't disappear, not even close. You made me whole again, just as I did for you."

"But Axel..."

"Not your fault," Roxas snapped, shaking his head in denial. "And even if Xion did have to go away because of you, because of us, you're still not to blame for it. We'll fix this together. Look what you did for me. If we have to we can do the same for Xion. You'll find a way. I know you, Sora. You won't give up and neither will I. Coming back to you wasn't an easy thing to do. I did it because I trusted you, and now I'm asking you to trust me. What's it gong to be, Sora? What will you do now?"

Sora tried to answer, but the words didn't seem to want to leave his throat. Roxas was so used to acting like a Nobody and following the rules of the Organization that he still sometimes had trouble expressing his emotions, which made for the occasional awkward moment, so for him to be the one to initiate such a fierce display of affection was something completely new to Sora, who wasn't quite sure how to respond. He didn't want to scare Roxas off, but he didn't want to leave his Nobody hanging either.

_He's right, though. If I keep blaming myself for everything, I'll never be able to concentrate on helping my friends figure out what's going on here in Twilight Town._

"Well? What's it going to be?" Roxas demanded, pulling back slightly so they could look at each other.

"I _do_ trust you, and I know this Xion is important to you, just like Hayner, Axel, Pence, and Olette. That's why I feel so bad about this whole thing. I always seem to cause you nothing but pain..."

"Do I look like I'm in pain now?" Roxas asked quietly, his sapphire eyes burning fiercely in the twilit sun. "Do you think being here with you causes me pain? I've lost a lot, but I've also gained a lot. And being here with you...I finally understand what it means to be really happy. To be at peace. How can you say that you only cause me pain?"

"I..."

"Don't take away from what I feel, now that I know what it really means to feel something."

_Roxas..._

Sora couldn't respond, so instead he did the only thing he could think of. He started to smile.

"What?" Roxas asked, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing?'"

"Nothing. I just...like seeing you like this. I like seeing the real you even when you're yelling at me."

Roxas blushed and ducking his head, he stammered, "Oh thanks, now you're making me sound like...like Riku!"

"But that's a good thing! Okay, maybe Riku has his moments, but it's still a good thing!"

"Right..."

Sora could tell that Roxas was still embarrassed over his uncharacteristic display of emotion, but instead of allowing the golden-haired Nobody to escape, he pulled Roxas back towards him to return the hug. It wasn't that Roxas wasn't good at showing emotions, he just wasn't normally quite as enthusiastic about doing so, due mostly to the fact that he was still getting used to the idea of being able to feel, which was something the other members of the Organization kept insisting it was impossible for him to do.

Roxas had definitely proved them wrong when it came to the Key of Destiny.

"Ready to go?" Roxas mumbled into his shoulder, the tone of his voice indicating that he himself was reluctant to do so.

"I guess so. If we don't hurry the others will be wondering where we are."

Roxas nodded in agreement, and glancing over his shoulder at the spot where Axel had stood up to Xion, he sighed in resignation. "Come on."

_I wonder what Axel would think of Roxas if he could see him now..._

Sora took one last look as well, trying to keep the memory that wasn't even his own fresh inside his head, and turning away he quickly discovered that the others hadn't gotten very far. The rest of the group stood just inside the doors to the mansion, and for some reason all of them were crowded around Naminé.

"What's going on?" Roxas demanded, Oathkeeper materializing immediately in his hands.

Sora glanced anxiously at Kairi, who stood next to Naminé with her hand on the female Nobody's shoulder, but instead of answering she merely shook her head and gave him a look that clearly said to wait and see for himself.

"So many memories," Naminé sighed, almost to herself.

Sora had to agree. He could feel his own memories and all of the memories belonging to Roxas pressing down upon him, but at the same time he could also feel the faint memories of...someone else hovering in the air around him, just out of reach.

_Memories of mine that are...not really mine. Memories of Riku, Kairi, and myself..._

One look at Roxas told him his other half was experiencing the exact same kind of feeling and he could tell by the look of pain and confusion on the golden-haired Nobody's face that it was deeply affecting him.

"My drawings," Naminé suddenly gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. "There's something missing from my pictures!"

"Huh?" Hayner asked, scratching his head in confusion.

Naminé didn't answer. Instead she motioned for them to follow her to the white room where she used to draw her pictures.

The room that still ached with the loneliness she had suffered at the hands of so many who had taken advantage of her unusual talents.

"Naminé?" Roxas stammered, staring incredulously at the female nobody.

Naminé paused to smile at him, and taking his hand, she said softly, "Roxas, let's go find our answers. Let's find Xion."


	8. The Open Door

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, Disney...you know the drill.

**A/N: Yes, I am back again. I apologize to everyone about the huge delay on this chapter. I think I got into a kind of slump and then other things just kept coming up so it took me forever to find the motivation to write this chapter, and then..._Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_ came around and all of a sudden my inspiration came back! So, you can thank BBS for this new chapter. Now...with regards to the room in the old mansion in Twilight Town (you know which one I mean, the white room where Naminé draws all her pictures) they never make it quite clear if her drawings only exist in the fake Twilight Town, just the real Twilight Town, or in both, so I've written this chapter under the assumption that the room looks the same in both Twilight Towns, with Naminé's drawings on the walls. If I'm wrong on that, I apologize. Also, as you can see, I have finally figured out how to do accents on names so I will eventually have to go and reedit all of my chapters for my three stories. **

**Warning: This chapter contains some _Birth By Sleep_ stuff. There's not a lot and there's nothing spoilerish, but just to put it out there if you have not yet finished all three stories in BBS. Truthfully, you probably won't even pick up on it if you haven't played the game, but I'm putting a warning here anyways just in case. That way you can't say I didn't warn you! And that's it from me. I believe there will be two more chapters to go in this story after this one. Enjoy!  
**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 8: The Open Door

_Roxas_

_Old Mansion, Twilight Town  
_

Roxas clung tightly to Naminé's hand, butterflies dancing uncomfortably in his stomach, and with the rest of their friends following along closely behind, the two of them proceeded to enter the room where Naminé had spent much of her time delving into the memories of others, wishing all the while that she could piece together a few happy memories of her own. The room looked every bit the same as Roxas remembered it. Cold, pristine, and white, except for the drawings covering much of the walls, the room had a hopeless, sterile feel to it, and combined with the lingering sadness from Naminé, and his own, Roxas was forced to admit to himself it was a relief to feel Sora's comforting presence beside him, almost as if the Keyblade Master was acting as a shield to repel the pain and sorrow lurking within the shadowy corners of the room.

_**"So it's the strength of his heart that intrigues you, the heart chosen by the Keyblade."**_

_**"What makes his heart shine like that? What sleeps in its most secret depths?"**_

_**"The heart is a mysterious thing, Axel."**_

_**"Maybe so, but unlocking its secrets is the whole reason we, the Organization, exist."**_

Now that, Roxas knew, was most definitely not a memory that was his own or Sora's, forgotten or otherwise. It was almost as if the room itself was speaking to him. Or perhaps it wasn't even the room, but the drawings hanging upon the walls, suspended in time, not quite lost but definitely forgotten.

Well, almost forgotten.

_Axel, it's your memory, isn't it. Your memories are inside this room, just as much as mine and Sora's._

And gazing at a picture of himself and Axel, their backs facing the room, he knew he was right.

_Does this mean then...that Xion is here too? Is she what Sora and I are feeling?_

Roxas watched in silence as Naminé slowly circled the room, and coming to a stop in front of a drawing that also looked to him like a picture of both himself and Axel from the front, she placed her hand against it and frowned, a slightly confused look on her face.

"What is it, Naminé?" Kairi asked, moving to stand next to her golden-haired Nobody.

Naminé seemed to hesitate before saying, "There's something missing from my drawings. I feel like...like someone else is supposed to be there."

_Someone else..._

Without another word, Naminé pulled the drawing off the wall and taking a seat at the long white table, she began to add to the picture, her fingers moving quickly to draw in what looked like another figure.

Roxas moved quickly to stand behind her in silence, and looking over her shoulder he let out a soft gasp of surprise.

It was her. The girl with black hair and deep blue eyes. The girl wearing the Organization coat.

Xion.

"Who's that?" Hayner asked curiously, frowning at the picture.

Roxas glanced up in surprise, and he jumped when he realized everyone else was also standing around Naminé, gazing at the drawing, but before he could answer Hayner, Sora said slowly, "It's her. That's Xion."

"Okay, but who is Xion?" Olette insisted, looking at Naminé for an explanation.

Roxas turned to look at the female Nobody, who nodded to him, and he let out a deep sigh. "I think...she used to be my friend, but I can't remember it. Not just mine, but Axel's friend too. Look at the way she's dressed and the fact that I'm pretty sure she used to hang out with me and Axel a lot...She must have been one of us."

"One of...what?" Pence interrupted, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"You know...a Nobody. She must have been a member of the Organization, but I can't remember her. I mean, the Organization never had more than thirteen members, so...I don't get it. How could she have been one of us? It doesn't make any sense and yet...I know she was. I feel it."

"But...if she was then how come you can't remember her?" Hayner demanded, a frustrated look on his face. "You remember Axel and all of the others now."

"I know, I just..."

"Why don't you tell us everything you _do_ know," Olette said gently, motioning for him to take a seat at the table. "Maybe we can help in some way. We might be able to pick up on something that all of you guys missed."

_It won't hurt to tell them. They accepted Axel, so why not Xion? And who knows? Maybe they will be able to see something we missed._

Having come to this conclusion, Roxas quickly told his three friends from Twilight Town everything he knew about Xion, and once he was finished a kind of somber silence fell over the room, making Roxas slightly uneasy. The drawings of himself hanging on the walls seemed to be staring back at him, and though the pictures were undeniably of him, he felt like he was staring back at a stranger.

_**"She's smoke and mirrors, Roxas. And when I looked into the mirror...It wasn't you I saw."**_

"So...Roxas, you remember how you were telling me that you were looking for a friend of yours when you were still in the Organization?" Pence asked slowly, a slight frown on his face. "Do you think maybe that might have been...you know..."

"Xion? I've been wondering about that myself. If that's true, though, why would I have been looking for her? Why would she have gone...you know, somewhere away from me?"

"Until all of your memories come back, we have no way of knowing for sure," Olette said quietly. "Whatever the reason, though, I don't think it would have been because of something you did. Even from the little you've told us I get the feeling this Xion really cared a lot about you, just like us."

"I've said this before and I'll say it again. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours and since it sounds like this Xion was definitely a friend of yours, then that means she's a friend of ours, too," Hayner insisted. "Wherever she is, we'll find her, and then you can ask her yourself."

Roxas bowed his head and unable to look at Hayner sitting beside him, he mumbled, "But that's the thing. I don't know if we will be able to find her. You see, I have this feeling she might have...disappeared. Like Axel..."

"Maybe," Pence said slowly, shaking his head, "but maybe not. You said it yourself. There's still a lot about Xion that remains a mystery. Maybe she did disappear, maybe she didn't. Until all of your memories come back, we can't say for sure."

"And we might not be able to help you regain those lost memories, but we can give you our support," Olette added, a smile on her face. "You'll find out the truth, Roxas, and though we don't have any idea of what happened to Xion or where she is, it doesn't hurt to look if we have the chance."

Gazing at his three friends from Twilight Town, Roxas didn't know what to say. Their support meant more to him than he could ever admit, and despite how much he appreciated their help, the words didn't seem to want to come.

Thankfully they didn't seem to expect him to reply because they appeared content just to receive a smile and a nod for their efforts.

"We may not know much, but...Naminé and I are sure that whoever Xion may be, somehow Sora's at the centre of all this," Riku explained, sitting back in his chair next to Pence and crossing his arms over his chest. "He usually is."

"Xion...I think...her disappearance has something to do with me," Sora said reluctantly, a touch of sadness in his voice.

Roxas turned to the Keyblade Master, who was sitting on his right, and poking Sora in the shoulder, he said sternly, "What did I tell you?"

"I'm not blaming myself. I'm just saying, I'm sure the reason she doesn't seem to be around anymore has something to do with me and you, and what happened to us."

"I can't say for sure, but...I think it's like what happened with Roxas in the sense that you had no way of knowing about it while it was going on," Naminé interrupted, a sympathetic smile on her face. "I believe that whatever happened, it was something that was completely out of your control and therefore you can't blame yourself for what took place. If anything, I may be at fault more than you are."

"It was nobody's fault," Riku said bluntly, his tone daring anyone to argue with him.

"A-hyuck, I think Riku has the right idea," Goofy said cheerfully, from his seat next to the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade. "Sometimes these things just happen."

"The only thing we can do now is make sure it doesn't happen again," Donald added, from his seat on Hayner's left. "We have to keep believing in ourselves and our friends. At least, that's what His Majesty, the King, would have said."

"Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you," Kairi said softly, almost to herself.

Her sudden words startled Roxas, and turning to look at the red-haired female, who stood protectively behind her golden-haired Nobody's chair, he was surprised to discover she was the only one still standing and there was an odd expression on her face. She seemed lost in thought, as if she were a million miles away.

"What is it, Kairi?" Sora asked quickly, the somber look on his face twisting into an expression of concern.

"Huh?" Kairi glanced at Sora, looking almost as if she'd forgotten where she was, her forehead wrinkling in confusion, and seeing the look on Sora's face she smiled to ease the Keyblade Master's fears. "It's nothing. Just thinking. Listen, as much as I want to know more about Xion, I don't think it's going to help us figure out what's happening to Twilight Town."

"You're right, Kairi," Naminé quickly agreed, beaming at the red-haired female. "Perhaps it would be best if we set the matter aside for the moment. We'll have plenty of time to focus on Xion after we've discovered the source of the darkness threatening the town. What do you think, Roxas?"

As much as Roxas wanted to delve into the past, he knew Kairi and Naminé were right. Once they figured out what was happening to Twilight Town and solved the issue, they would have plenty of time to search for the truth about Xion. "Well, if that's the case, we might as well search the rest of the mansion for clues. When it comes to the present, I don't think this room is going to yield any secrets."

**_"I swear I'll put an end to this..."_**

_An end to what? And who are you?_

There was a loud scraping of chairs and a shuffling of feet, and hurrying to Naminé's side, Roxas held out his hand and mumbled, "Hey, Naminé, do you mind if I hold onto that drawing?"

"Keep it safe," Naminé whispered, placing it gently in his hand.

Roxas quickly tucked the drawing into his shirt and following after the rest of his friends he proceeded to help search the mansion from top to bottom, hoping to find some kind of clue to explain the darkness hovering over the town. Unfortunately, their efforts revealed nothing of any interest, and after assembling in the room housing Ansem's computer, where the gateway to The World That Never Was had opened, along with the transporter connecting the real Twilight Town and the fake Twilight Town when it had been in operation, they stared helplessly at one another, uncertain of what to do next. Ansem's computer had fared much better in the real Twilight Town compared to the fake Twilight Town and remembering how he had smashed the one in Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town, Roxas couldn't help feeling a slight twinge of embarrassment over the lack of control he had so spectacularly displayed in the mansion.

_So much for being a Nobody..._

"You don't think Ansem's computer might have anything on it, do you?" Olette asked curiously, studying the blank screen with interest.

Pence quickly took a seat in front of the computer and frowning at the keyboard, he said slowly, "Remember when the portal to The World That Never Was disappeared and we were worried that we would never see Sora again? Well...that day a lot of the information stored on Ansem's computer also disappeared, but...I mean I guess it's worth a shot. It can't hurt to take a look, right? Good thing I still remember the password..."

Roxas quickly stepped up behind Pence's chair as the dark-haired boy began to type furiously on the keyboard, and a moment later the blank screen flickered to life. At first, nothing happened after Pence put in the password, but then words and phrases began to scroll rapidly across the screen, and fragments of what looked like several documents popped up. Words that, to Roxas, looked like 'Xehanort Report #3' suddenly flashed onto the screen, and Sora quickly held out a hand to stop Pence from performing any other type of new action. "Xehanort Report #3...What's that and why would Ansem have it on his computer?"

"It's hard to say," Pence replied, frowning at the screen. "We know Ansem always kept a close eye on Xehanort, especially seeing as how Xehanort used to be his apprentice, and from the sounds of it, it looks like this report was written by Xehanort himself, not Ansem. My guess is Ansem must have picked it up from somewhere and kept a record of it for further study into what Xehanort was planning after becoming a Heartless and trying to gain control of Kingdom Hearts."

"Well, what does it say?" Hayner demanded, poking Pence between the shoulder blades.

"Let's see here...It seems to be a pretty old document, and it looks like part of it is missing, too. This must just be a fragment of the original. There's a lot of holes, especially at the beginning, but the part I do have says...'they learned of the Keyblade's true use. War broke out as each of the Keyblade Wielders struggled to lay claim to an almighty entity known as Kingdom Hearts.'"

"What does that mean?" Donald quacked indignantly, glaring at the screen.

"I don't know. After that there's a bunch missing again and then it just says...'By gathering all the hearts of all the worlds in a single place, one may complete Kingdom Hearts,' which we already know."

"Anything else?" Riku asked, leaning over Donald for a better look at the screen.

"Nothing except...there's a tiny fragment under the heading 'Xehanort Report #12' that says...'Let the darkness make his light stronger, then let the light deepen the darkness. And where the two finally meet is where the stuff of legends will become real.'"

"That's it?" Hayner asked, clearly disappointed.

"That's it."

"Whose light?" Sora asked curiously, frowning slightly. "I don't get it. Whose light is Xehanort talking about?"

"And what about that part from earlier?" Olette added. "It sounds like he was talking about a huge war to claim Kingdom Hearts."

Roxas nodded in agreement, feeling a bit unsure of himself. "Sounds like...I don't know...some kind of Keyblade War. You know, a war fought with Keyblades. Is that even possible? I mean, there aren't exactly a lot of Keyblade wielders around, are there? Off the top of my head, I can count them on one hand. Me, Sora, Riku, and King Mickey, and...well...it looks like Xion might have been one, too...but my point is, you can't exactly start a war with so few people, especially when they're all on the same side."

"Gawrsh, sounds complicated," Goofy said, fiddling with his shield.

"That's for sure," Pence agreed, making a face. "Plus, not only aren't there enou- hey!"

"What is it, Pence?" Kairi asked.

"The computer just suddenly shut off and I can't seem to get it back up and running again."

"So much for that idea," Hayner groaned.

"I don't think it would matter even if Pence could get the computer running again," Naminé said seriously, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Gawrsh, why not?" Goofy asked anxiously.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" Donald demanded.

"Like Pence said, those documents appear to be pretty old. I doubt they have anything to do with the darkness hovering over Twilight Town or Xion."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Naminé's right," Riku said bluntly, summoning his Keyblade and pointing it towards the door. "I don't think we're going to find anything of importance here. Best if we move on, I think."

"But where to?" Hayner snorted. "We've been everywhere in Twilight Town."

"Actually, now that I think about it, we haven't checked the residential area of the town," Olette countered, her face lighting up. "What about you guys?"

"No, we never looked there either," Sora replied, beaming at the dark-haired female. "We might as well take a look. It's the only area we have left to check."

"Let's go then," Naminé agreed, moving towards the door.

Roxas made to follow the others, but just before leaving the room he turned back to gaze curiously at Ansem's computer, feeling a kind of sense of déja vu.

**_"It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is..."_**

Gazing one last time at the computer before hurrying after his friends, Oathkeeper in his hand, he smiled and said softly, "Open the door."**_  
_**


	9. Eternal Flame

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Final Fantasy, and I'll be glad when I don't have to say this anymore for this story!

**A/N: Okay, so...I lied again! I said there would be two more chapters after the last one, but I was wrong. There are going to be two more after this one due to the fact that I wanted to end this one at this particular moment, which I'm sure you'll all understand why once you read it. I have started writing the next chapter, as well, so I will hopefully have it up soon. And that's it for now!  
**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 9: Eternal Flame

_Roxas_

_Sunset Terrace/Sunset Hill, Twilight Town_

Roxas emerged slowly from the tunnel way into the twilit streets of Sunset Terrace, and frowning at the deserted road ahead of him, he let out a defeated sigh, which did not go unnoticed by the rest of the party.

"It's the same here, too," Riku said quietly, glancing warily back at the tunnel entrance, his Keyblade, Way to the Dawn, held securely over his shoulders in a tight grip. "Dead and silent."

"And still no Heartless or Nobodies," Sora added, a frown on his normally cheerful face.

"Gawrsh, there must be something really wrong with Twilight Town if both the shopping district and the residential area of the town are being affected by the darkness Chip and Dale mentioned," Goofy said in a hushed voice, as if reluctant to disturb the eerie silence.

Roxas had to agree. Normally the residential area of Twilight Town was full of life and laughter, and the sound of the trams weaving in and out of the buildings was always a source of comfort, but at the moment it didn't look as if the trams were even running in the residential section and the loss of what was always a familiar source of background noise made the town seem even more lifeless and ghostly than it had in the shopping district of the town.

_Twilight Town feels like...like a graveyard._

"Guess we're not going to find out much here either," Hayner grumbled, looking slightly disappointed.

"Even so, we should at least check around a little bit," Pence countered. "You never know what we might find."

"I'm afraid to find out," Olette moaned, making a face.

"What do you think, Sora?" Kairi asked, turning to gaze curiously at the Keyblade Master.

"Well, it won't hurt to take a look. That's what we came here for in the first place, right?"

"We should probably split up into three groups," Riku butted in, glancing at each member of the party in turn. "Sora, Roxas, and I will each lead a group, since we're the only ones here who have Keyblades. The rest of you can join a party of your choice."

"In that case, I'm going with Roxas," Hayner insisted, making a fist. "We'll figure out what's going on in this town."

"I would like to go with you, as well, Roxas," Naminé said almost shyly, her lips turning up in a hesitant smile.

Roxas stared at his two friends in surprise, and shrugging his shoulders, he said, "Sure."

"Well, I'm going with Sora," Donald interrupted, pointing his staff accusingly in the Keyblade Master's direction. "Somebody has to watch him to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble."

"A-hyuck, I'm coming, too!" Goofy quickly jumped in. "The three of us always stick together."

"I'm coming with you, too, Sora," Kairi said sternly, her hands on her hips. "Donald and Goofy might think they need to watch you, but I know very well all three of you need watching!"

Sora had the grace to look a little sheepish and scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, he said, "Maybe."

"Okay then, if you guys are going with Sora and Roxas, Olette and I will go with Riku," Pence butted in, turning to smile at the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade. "I think that's everyone then."

Riku nodded and pointing his Keyblade in the direction of Sunset Hill, he said, "Sounds good to me. We'll meet at the base of Sunset Hill in about half an hour. The residential area of Twilight Town isn't that big, and with us all split into three groups it shouldn't take us that long to check the place out."

"Everybody ready to go?" Sora asked, summoning his own Keyblade with a well practiced hand.

"My group will check out the area closest to Sunset Station," Riku announced, pointing his Keyblade in the general direction he was referring to. "Sora, you take the middle and, Roxas, your group can take the area closest to Sunset Hill."

"Gotcha. Let's go, guys," Sora said cheerfully, motioning for his group to follow him.

Roxas set off at a slow pace towards the base of Sunset Hill, Naminé and Hayner on either side of him, and holding Oathkeeper tightly in his hand he glanced nervously at the dark shadows hovering at the base of every building and lurking in the dark corners in between each structure, wondering if perhaps they would finally reveal their secrets, though he wasn't holding his breath. It was like the forest all over again, and no matter which direction he turned he couldn't help feeling as if there were eyes watching him from the darkness.

_Something moved in the woods. I know it did. Could it be here, too? Following me wherever I go?_

_**"Go ahead if you want to waste your time. Keep trying to drive us apart with your mind games. It'll never work!"**_

"Roxas, you seem lost in thought. Is there something on your mind?" Naminé asked softly, her sudden words startling him badly, nearly causing him to drop his Keyblade.

"Not really. I just...not exactly. It's more like...everybody else's thoughts are on my mind."

"What does that mean?" Hayner demanded, giving him a funny look.

"I'm...not really sure. It's funny, but I hear so many voices inside my head. So many memories..."

"Don't we all," Naminé murmured, a slight smile on her face.

"Some of them, I'm sure I don't know. I've never heard them before, but they sound so familiar. Kind of like...old friends. Maybe I don't know them, but I feel like I should."

"Wait, what?" Hayner interrupted, raising his eyebrows. "Man, what is up with you, Roxas? You're not going crazy on me again, are you?"

"Oh, thanks! Is that what you think of me?"

Hayner started to laugh, and slugging an arm around his shoulders, the blond struggler said, "Don't worry about it. Even if you are, I ain't going anywhere. I stuck around last time, didn't I?"

Roxas had to smile. "Yeah, I guess you did."

"I suppose...it all comes back to Sora, doesn't it," Naminé said softly, almost to herself. "He really is the key that connects everything."

_The key that connects everything..._

Gazing up the road towards Sunset Hill, Roxas took a moment to reflect on Naminé's words. It was true what she had said. Everything always did come back to Sora, and as much as Roxas knew he should probably be worried about that, he wasn't, simply because if there was one person out there who could handle having such a huge weight resting upon his shoulders, it was Sora.

**_"You used to be too broken to talk back..."_**

_Not anymore, I'm not._

"Hey, are we ready to do some searching here, or what?" Hayner cut in, impatiently shifting his feet.

"Right. Let's start with searching the area to the left of Sunset Hill."

"Sounds good," Naminé agreed, giving him a warm smile.

They set off at a fast pace, checking every street and shadowy corner within their section of the left side of town, but after the first fifteen minutes Roxas could already tell they weren't going to find anything. Yes, there were no people around, and yes the town was empty and silent, but their wasn't technically anything _wrong _with it, and that, Roxas had to admit to himself, was extremely unnerving.

"Darkness we cannot see, yet it hides in every corner," Naminé sighed, shaking her head in despair. "What does it mean?"

"I don't know, but it's giving me the creeps," Hayner complained. "I wonder if Pence and the others are having better luck than we are."

Roxas made a face, certain that Sora and Riku weren't any closer to the truth than he was. "Somehow I doubt it. Let's check the area to the right of Sunset Hill. I doubt we'll have any more luck there, but I guess you never know. By then it'll be time for us to meet up with the others."

"Onward then!" Hayner said confidently, pointing the bat he used for struggle matches across the street at the opposite side of Sunset Terrace.

Once again their search proved to be futile, and making their way back towards the base of Sunset Hill, Roxas couldn't help feeling slightly disappointed.

_And I was so sure something would happen. Anything to explain what's going on around here..._

"Here comes Sora's group," Naminé suddenly said softly in his ear, interrupting his thoughts.

"And by the looks on their faces they don't know any more than we do," Hayner groaned, slapping a hand against his forehead.

Judging by the look of disappointment on Sora's face, Roxas had to agree, and racing to meet the Keyblade Master half way, he said, "No luck?"

"None," Sora sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "I take it it's the same for you guys?"

"Pretty much."

"Now what?" Kairi grumbled, glaring at the sun hanging low over Sunset Hill, as if it were to blame for their current predicament.

"Gawrsh, we're not having any luck at all, are we," Goofy said, a look of despair overtaking his normally cheerful features.

Clearly frustrated, Donald smacked his staff against the pavement beneath their feet and said, "What a waste of time! I'm going to give Chip and Dale a good talking to when we get back to the ship!"

"Cut them some slack, Donald, they were just trying to help," Hayner shot back, skidding to a halt next to Sora with Naminé beside him. "And Olette has the nerve to say I'm bad."

"Speaking of Olette, here she comes with Riku's group," Kairi interrupted, nodding her head in the direction of the station.

"Great," Hayner drawled, rolling his eyes. "Just what we need, more disappointment."

Roxas would have given anything to disagree, but once again it looked as if Hayner was right.

"Nothing, Sora," Riku announced, sounding rather irritated by his failure to discover the source of the darkness haunting Twilight Town.

"We even looked in the station itself and still nothing," Pence added. "We're really running out of options now."

"The only place left is Sunset Hill," Olette agreed, trying and failing miserably to sound optimistic.

_What are we going to do if we can't even find a clue as to what's gong on around here? How can we help Twilight Town and its people if we don't even know where to start looking for answers?_

His thoughts must have shown plainly on his face because Sora suddenly put an arm around him and said cheerfully, "Come on_, _Roxas, let's go to Sunset Hill."

Instead of answering, Roxas merely let out a sigh of defeat and proceeded to follow the Keyblade Master up the hill, a heavy feeling inside his chest, one he knew Sora would insist was the result of having a heart, and upon reaching the top of the hill he came to a dead stop, his sapphire eyes widening in surprise.

"What's that?" Hayner asked curiously, pointing to the base of the stone monument, which was, like the station tower, one of Twilight Town's more familiar landmarks.

"Not what, but who," Pence corrected, taking a hesitant step closer to the monument.

Upon closer inspection, Roxas realized that Pence was right. Lying motionless beneath the statue was a body.

A body wearing a long, dark coat.

"Roxas, look!" Sora gasped, waving his Keyblade, Oblivion, at the motionless figure. "Look at him..."

_It can't be..._

Roxas studied the figure lying beneath the monument, and he felt his supposedly non-existent heart leap into his throat. Twice he had to close his eyes and open them again just to make sure he wasn't dreaming or seeing things, but the cloaked figure did not disappear or fade away into the shadows.

The man wearing the dark coat was tall and lanky, and he lay sprawled on his side, his head resting on his left arm. His face was slightly obscured by the hood of his cloak, a very familiar cloak, but even so there was no denying the man's identity.

Roxas knew only too well that the black coat was a symbol of the now dead Organization, but it wasn't the cloak that had caught his attention.

No. It was the strange markings under the man's eyes and the head of flaming red hair shining brilliantly in the light of the setting sun radiating over the not quite deserted peak of Sunset Hill that had truly captured his attention.

The man's eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping, but Roxas knew when they were open they were a piercing, vivid green.

Organization XIII's Number VIII.

Axel.


	10. Memorized

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts and/or all the franchises associated with it.

**A/N:**** One more chapter to go after this! Credit goes to_ Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep _****for the chapter title.****_  
_**

Sunset Dreams

Chapter 10: Memorized

_Roxas_

_Sunset Hill, Twilight Town_

At first, Roxas could only stand there staring in disbelief at the sight of his very first best friend lying motionless beneath the stone monument watching over Sunset Hill, his mind unable to process what he was seeing, but as the meaning behind the scene he was witnessing slowly started to sink in, his sapphire eyes began to sting with barely suppressed tears.

_Can it really be him? He...disappeared. He faded away into the darkness...to nothingness..._

"Go," Naminé said quietly in his ear, giving him a gentle push.

Roxas hesitated, unsure of what to do. As much as he wanted to be by his friend's side, he was scared that if he moved or made the slightest bit of noise, Axel _would_ disappear, once again becoming nothing more than a mere memory inside the heart he shared with Sora.

**_"Friends forever..."_**

"He's waiting for you, Roxas," Sora insisted, giving him a warm smile. "You're the one he wants to see."

It was all Roxas could do to keep his emotions in check, emotions that were threatening to overwhelm him, and making his way slowly towards the unconscious Axel, he knelt next to his old friend's side and tentatively placed his hand on the red-haired Nobody's shoulder. "Axel?"

Axel didn't reply, not that Roxas really expected him to, and giving the red-haired Nobody's shoulder a gentle shake, he repeated the name, hoping for some sort of a response.

This time, Axel's vivid green eyes slowly fluttered open, and shifting slightly he lifted his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose, a slightly confused look on his face. "Huh? What...where am I?"

"Axel?"

Axel finally seemed to realize there was someone speaking to him, and blinking rapidly he glanced up in surprise, his green eyes searching for the owner of the voice that had interrupted his little nap.

Their eyes met, and Axel froze, his emerald gaze widening in shock.

**_"Come on, Axel's waiting..."_**

For a moment, they just stared at each other, and to Roxas it felt like time had come to a complete standstill, as if everything depended on this moment, including the very core of their friendship, and then Axel suddenly sat up so fast, Roxas had to scramble back a few inches to avoid the taller Nobody's scarlet head from connecting with the bottom of his jaw, which would no doubt have been rather painful, at least for him.

"Roxas?" Axel gasped in a voice barely above a whisper, staring at him in utter disbelief.

Roxas tried to respond, but for some reason the words didn't want to leave his throat. After several tries, he merely gave up and nodded, unable to look away from his friend.

_He's really here. This is really happening..._

Roxas jumped as Axel suddenly placed a hand against his chest, much in the same fashion as Hayner had done earlier, and shaking his head, the red-haired Nobody said softly, "You...you're real. But...how? You...and _him_..."

And finally, the words came.

"You were right, Axel. You and Naminé. I'm still here and I..."

Overcome by the intensity of his emotions, Roxas threw his arms around the red-haired Nobody in a tight hug, and Axel jumped in surprise, clearly startled by this sudden and most unusual display of affection, especially for a Nobody. "Whoa! Hey, cut it out, man! You're embarrassing me here!"

Roxas heard laughter behind him, reminding him that the two of them were not alone, and quickly pulling away from the red-haired Nobody, he managed a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me. It's just, you know...I...I really missed you..."

"For a Nobody, you sure have a funny way of showing it," Axel replied, smirking at him before quickly leaping to his feet.

Roxas quickly scrambled up beside his red-haired friend and the two of them smiled at each other. "Oh, thanks! I don't know why you're so surprised. When it comes to being a Nobody, it's not like I ever followed the rules anyways."

"That, you didn't."

Axel studied him for a moment and face growing suddenly serious, the red-haired Nobody said quietly, "You're still you, even though..."

"Even though I look like a ghost?"

"No, I mean even though you're...you know, with _him_ now..."

Roxas turned slowly to look at Sora, and the two of them exchanged a smile. "What do you expect? This is Sora we're talking about here. Even if I wanted to, he wouldn't let me disappear."

Axel, too, suddenly seemed to realize they were not, in fact, alone, and studying the rest of the party, he raised his eyebrows in amusement. "You've been busy while I've been gone. Care to introduce me?"

Roxas had to smile. "I think you do a pretty good job of that yourself, and besides they already know you, or know of you."

"Still, best not to let moments like this go to waste." Axel inclined his head towards the Twilight Town trio and said carelessly, "The name's Axel, by the way. Got it memorized?"

"We know," Hayner said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest and studying Axel with apparent interest. "You're that creepy red-haired guy who went and kidnapped Kairi from us!"

At this declaration, Axel placed a hand against his non-existent heart, doing a very convincing impression of looking incredibly wounded. "You know, that hurts right here."

Hayner's response was to snort.

Very loudly.

"It's nice to meet you, Axel," Olette interrupted, frowning at Hayner before once again turning her attention to Axel. "I mean, _really _meet you. I'm Olette and these two are Hayner and Pence. We're friends of Roxas'."

"So I've heard, or should I say so it appeared, but how..."

"They remember me from when I used to come to Twilight Town on missions for the Organization," Roxas explained, hoping Axel would understand. "Remember, Pence even helped us out that time when we had to take out a giant Heartless, plus search for a friend of ours."

"Friend?" Axel repeated, frowning in confusion. "I remember Pence, but I don't remember-"

"Never mind that right now. The point is, they not only remember me from the real Twilight Town, they also remember me from Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town. I don't really understand how that's possible, but it's the truth. Guess I'm not such a fake after all."

Axel glanced at him, and shaking his head, the red-haired Nobody said quietly, "You were always real to me."

"Axel..."

"So, creepy red-haired guy, why'd you go and kidnap Kairi like that, huh?" Hayner demanded, determined not to be ignored or forgotten.

"Seriously? Creepy red-haired guy? Come on, cut me some slack here, would you? And besides, I already apologized for that."

"He did," Sora confirmed, nodding his head for emphasis.

"Maybe, but-"

"Leave him alone," Pence interrupted, nudging Hayner in the ribs. "He's a friend of Roxas', isn't he? He can't be all that bad. We all make mistakes, even creepy red-haired guys like him."

"Exactly," Olette agreed, dismissing Hayner's concern with a wave of her hand. "Personally, for a creepy red-haired guy, I think he seems pretty nice."

"That's it!" Axel shouted, losing his patience altogether. "How many times do I have to say it? It's Axel! Axel! A-x-e-l! Get it memorized already!"

"Moving on," Riku interrupted, smirking in amusement at the irritated look on Axel's face, "how are you even here? You lost the last of your strength by helping Sora fight and then you faded away. Sora can vouch for what happened. How is it even possible for you to be standing here now?"

Turning his back on the party, Axel gazed quietly at the sunset hovering just over the horizon in the distance, and staring curiously at the back of his friend's flaming red head, Roxas had the feeling Axel was attempting to put his thoughts in order, to best make sense of what had happened to him.

When he did finally speak, it was in a surprisingly hesitant tone, which wasn't like Axel at all. "I'm not really sure. Before I disappeared, the last thing I remember seeing is...well, Sora's face looking down at me, and I remember...I wanted to see you again, Roxas, and I felt...regret, knowing that I would never get the chance to, knowing that...you were gone and that everything I'd done to Sora, it was like doing it to you, too..."

"Axel, I..."

Roxas didn't know how to finish that sentence, so instead he snapped his mouth shut and proceeded to stare at the grass beneath his feet.

"Listen to me, talking about feelings...A Nobody like me can't feel anything, so what do I know about regret and remorse? Only...I never had the chance to say goodbye, you know. I didn't want to leave believing that you were really gone, because if you were then...who would remember me? I...didn't want you to forget about me..."

**_"I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people's memories, I can live forever..."_**

"Like I could ever forget about you."

"You did once," Axel shot back, without looking at him.

_So that's it. That's why he was so worked up about it when I couldn't remember who he was after being sent to Ansem's simulation of Twilight Town. Axel..._

Roxas stepped up beside Axel, and gazing at the sunset that had so completely captured his old friend's attention, he said quietly, "No, I didn't. Not really. Maybe in my mind, but you were always in my heart. Sora can attest to that, I think."

"Even before Roxas merged with me, I couldn't look at you without feeling...something," Sora admitted, unable to look at Axel.

Axel was silent for a moment, and instead of choosing to acknowledge the Keyblade Master, or his words, the red-haired Nobody instead continued on with his story, refusing to allow himself to become distracted.

"After those Nobodies got the better of me...Man, that still stings, but what the heck, I was the one who chose to take them all out at once, didn't I? Anyways...I don't really know how to explain it, but after using the last of my strength to help Sora fight and to open a portal to The World That Never Was, I could feel myself fading away into nothingness. Sora's face disappeared and then there was nothing. Blackness, emptiness, darkness...It was like my mind, my very existence, was floating in the darkness, suspended somewhere in the middle between both forces. Light and darkness, between the two realms, where no one could reach me."

"What happened then?" Kairi asked curiously, her attention completely focused on Axel's tale.

"I thought eventually I would just cease to exist, fade into the nothingness of who I was, but...that didn't happen. I was there in the darkness for what seemed like a long time, but every time I thought about just letting the darkness take me, of disappearing, I'd see your face, Roxas. I'd remember...all the good times we had. And then suddenly, it was like my mind started to grow stronger and I saw this...light in the distance."

"A...light?" Donald repeated, exchanging a look with Goofy.

"Corny, I know," Axel replied, laughing softly at himself, "but that's what I saw. It was really bright and warm, and...I felt like it was calling out to me, so I did the only thing that made sense at the time. I followed it."

"Gawrsh, really?" Goofy inquired, gazing at the red-haired Nobody in awe.

"Yeah, well...I was getting tired of all that darkness anyway. It wasn't much fun, that's for sure."

"What happened then?" Hayner demanded, sounding surprisingly eager to hear the rest of the story.

Axel hesitated before saying, "Then...I woke up and I was here."

"Here, where Roxas is," Sora finished, smiling slightly.

Axel nodded, but he didn't look at Sora, and watching the two of them Roxas couldn't help raising his eyebrows at their behaviour. Ever since the party came upon the red-haired Nobody, Roxas hadn't failed to notice the way Sora seemed hesitant to approach Axel, and by the looks of it, Axel had noticed, as well.

Instead of commenting on Sora's behaviour, though, Axel merely shrugged and said, "Something like that."

"Strange," Naminé said quietly, her clear blue gaze studying Axel's face. "Maybe...our memories...no...those who matter to us...their hearts...are a much more powerful force than we realize."

"I won't argue with that," Riku agreed, a slight smile on his face.

**_"It's always about your friends, isn't it?"_**

"So, Roxas...what's your story?" Axel suddenly asked him, interrupting the thoughts, which were not his own, floating around inside his head. "I know what you said earlier, but I gotta admit, I'm still a bit confused. And...what are you doing here in Twilight Town anyways?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story, but..."

Roxas quickly told Axel about everything that had happened to him since merging with Sora and then he proceeded to explain why they were in Twilight Town, thanks to a helpful tip from Chip and Dale.

"Weird," Axel said slowly, glancing down the hill towards Sunset Terrace. "It doesn't look any different here than it usually does."

"That's what's so strange about it. We've searched the entire town and still...nothing."

"Hey, you're not the one causing all this darkness, are you?" Hayner asked, gazing suspiciously at Axel.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no. This has got nothing to do with me."

"Right..."

_They haven't exactly taken all that well to each other, have they. At least, not as well as I'd hoped..._

Roxas glanced nervously between his two best friends, uncertain of what to do, but before he could attempt to keep the peace, Hayner blurted out, "He's my best friend, too! Uh...just so you know."

Axel raised his eyebrows, a slight smile on his face. "I never said you weren't, did I?"

"Well, no, but...just don't forget it."

"Cool it, man. Already memorized. Any friend of Roxas' is a friend of mine. No worries there."

"I...oh..."

_Wait a moment..._

Roxas suddenly froze and staring at Axel, he felt a sudden flutter in his stomach. "You've said those words before. To her..."

"To who?" Axel asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

"Later," Riku interrupted, exchanging a look with Naminé.

Earlier, Roxas had felt a deep sadness inside him at the fact that Axel would never have the chance to remember Xion, but now it looked like maybe Axel would get his chance after all.

**_"See, I'm immortal!"_**

"So then...you don't have a problem with it?" Hayner interrupted, unwilling to allow the change in subject. "With me and Roxas being friends?"

"Why would I have a problem with it?" Axel shot back, looking mildly offended by this accusation. "By the looks of it, I already gotta share him with our Keyblade Master here and all of _his_ friends. What's one more person to add to the list?"

"Really? Cause our spot is the station tower, too, you know, and we eat sea-salt ice cream up there all the time and fight in struggle matches against each other, and-"

"Whoa, back up a minute!" Axel interrupted, holding out his hand to silence Hayner. "Let me get this straight. You like sea-salt ice cream, you love to battle, _and _you think Roxas is a pretty cool guy?"

"Do I ever!" Hayner agreed, beaming at the red-haired Nobody.

Axel stared at Hayner for a moment, and putting his arm around the blond struggler, he said thoughtfully, "You know, I think this might just be the start of a beautiful new friendship."

"Okay, now I'm scared," Pence muttered, exchanging an amused look with Olette.

Roxas, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier. "Thanks, Axel."

"Huh...what do you know. I guess he was right."

"What are you talking about?"

Axel studied him for a moment, and smiling faintly, the red-haired Nobody said, "Guess I'll never kick that old habit of picking up stray puppies after all. Not that I'm complaining."

"Oh, thanks! Who are you calling a stray puppy?"

"Forget it. Just a thought."

"Besides, it's not like you aren't the same way, Roxas," Riku smirked, twirling his Keyblade lightly in his hand. "Just ask your Other."

"Hey!" Sora shouted, looking mildly indignant. "I can't help it, okay?"

Roxas ignored the duo from Destiny Islands and said with feeling, "I still don't understand how you can be here, but...I'm glad you are. It just...wasn't the same without you."

"My sentiments exactly. Guess I have Sora to thank for that, though, right?"

"He does seem to have a knack for bringing people together again, doesn't he..."

They gazed at each other for a moment, and once again growing serious, Axel said, "You were wrong by the way."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"'No one would miss me'...I thought you had more faith in me than that, even if I _am_ a Nobody. That was not cool, Roxas."

Roxas felt himself blushing and turning his face away, he mumbled, "I'm sorry for what I said to you at the end there. For not believing you when you were only trying to protect me."

"Don't be. You were right, weren't you?"

"Still..."

"It doesn't change anything. We're still best friends, right?"

"Of course we are!"

"Then what are you worried about?"

Roxas blinked in surprise, and smiling at the red-haired Nobody he was forced to admit defeat. "You haven't changed a bit."

"You have," Axel countered, putting an arm around his shoulders and smiling down at him. "And I gotta say, I think I like this new you even better than the old one."

"Hey, Axel...can I ask you something?"

"If it's about Twilight Town again, sorry, I got nothing."

"No...that's not it..."

"Well, what is it then?" Axel asked curiously, his vivid green eyes glimmering with sudden interest. "Spit it out already."

"It's about her..."

"Who?"

Roxas looked up at his friend and gazing directly into Axel's eyes, he said quietly. "Xion."


	11. Sunset Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything associated with it.

**A/N: It's finally done! So, now...since most of you will probably be asking this, I would like to write a sequel to this story eventually, though it doesn't actually need one due to the fact that I'd always intended to leave this series with an open ending, since these were just stories of things that could have happened after Kingdom Hearts II. Just several stories of many possibilities. (Which will be completely thrown out of whack and already sort of have been thanks to the secret trailer _Blank Points_. Well, this third story, not the first two.) But, that being said, I think I'd like to maybe make a fourth story that would come after this one. The whole purpose of this third installment was, in fact, exactly what the summery says and was always meant to focus on Axel. Unfortunately, though, it will be quite a long while before I am able to write one due to the fact that my Digimon story _Trinity_ is a must finish and my number one priority next to_ FTFOD_, seeing as that fic has been posted for a long time and I have yet to finish it, which I want to do, and I also want to write a KH oneshot about Axel, Roxas, Xion, and that shady moogle in the World That Never Was. And you know, Roxas is still my favorite KH character, but Axel is by far my favorite KH character to write so once again a huge shout out to Quinton Flynn. Is it just me or does he just keep getting better and better at playing Axel? He was great in _KH II_, awesome in _Re: Chain of Memories_, and epic in _358/2 Days_, and Lea? What can I say, amazing voice actor and by far Axel is his best character, which he has played so far to date, in my opinion anyways. Oh? And the secret trailer? I'm so proud of myself! I finished all three reports sections on standard mode in all three games to get it! Instead of just watching it on er...you know where, they won't let me type it, or just playing through on proud mode. And all that hard work was so worth it! Epic!  
**

Sunset Dreams

_"Everything I do, I do for my friends." -Terra (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)_

_"I hope you'll see the heart in me..." -Jesse McCartney (Beautiful Soul)  
_

Chapter 11: Sunset Dreams

_Sora_

_Sunset Hill, Twilight Town_

"...Xion?"

Axel said the name slowly, as if testing the way it sounded coming from his lips, and Roxas nodded eagerly, gazing expectantly at the red-haired Nobody. "That's right! Do you...remember her?"

Axel remained silent for what seemed like forever, but was really only just over a minute, and frowning slightly, he gave Roxas a searching look. "Sorry, can't say that I do. I don't know anybody by that name, only..."

"Only what?"

Axel suddenly looked a bit sheepish, and scratching the back of his head, he said, "Only...for some reason I feel like I should."

_Wait, does that mean there's a chance he'll start remembering Xion, too? Just like Riku, Naminé, and Roxas?_

Sora gave Riku, who was standing beside him, a questioning look, but instead of responding the silver-haired wielder of the Keyblade merely shook his head, indicating that they should just let events play out naturally, like with Roxas and his three friends from Twilight Town.

**_"You wanna go look for her?"_**

**_"Huh? But Xemnas' orders..."_**

**_"Orders, shmorders. Starting tomorrow, let's use our spare time between work and coming here to try and find Xion."_**

"Here," Roxas said quietly, handing over the drawing he'd taken from the old mansion to Axel.

Axel stared at the drawing in surprise, his electric green eyes studying Xion's profile. "She looks like Naminé and Kairi, but...she's wearing our coat. Is this...Xion?"

"I think so," Roxas replied, watching Axel's face closely. "We're not sure, but we think she used to be a member of the Organization, only for some reason none of us can really remember her. It's only been recently that we've all started remembering her face and her name."

"Well, not everyone really," Riku interrupted, crossing his arms over his chest and nodding his head first at Roxas and then at Naminé. "Just the three of us, actually. I'm going to assume it's because that means we were the only three here who must have met her in person. And judging by Naminé's drawing, you must have also met her somewhere along the line, most likely while you and Roxas were still in the Organization, judging by her attire, and yours in Naminé's drawing."

"Number XIV," Axel murmured softly, almost to himself.

"What?" Roxas gasped, staring wide-eyed at his friend.

"Sorry, dunno know where that came from, but...we were always thirteen. How could there have been another member? It doesn't make any sense."

"I know, but..."

"Why don't you tell me everything you _do _know about this Xion," Axel insisted, handing the drawing back to Roxas, a curious expression on his face. "It might help jog my memory or something."

Sora listened in silence as Roxas quickly relayed everything they knew about Xion to the red-haired Nobody, and when he was done, Axel slowly turned once again to gaze at the setting sun in the distance, a thoughtful look on his face. "So...this Xion might have been our friend?"

"I think so," Roxas replied, appearing a little unsure of himself. "There were three of us, Axel. Like Naminé's drawing. I'm sure of it. She used to sit on top of the station tower with us where we would all eat sea-salt ice cream together, but then...something must have happened and she had to leave."

"We think she has some kind of connection to Sora," Kairi explained, exchanging a look with Naminé.

"Naturally," Axel snorted, an amused smile playing across his lips. "Doesn't everyone?"

Sora felt his cheeks start to turn red and ducking his head, he quickly looked at his feet to spare himself from having to look at Axel.

It _was_ true. Everything did always seem to come back to him, not that he was complaining. It was going to be a tough road, but he was going to do everything he could to help everyone who was important to him, even those he had yet to meet, not because he felt like he had to, but because he wanted to. It was just in his nature to do so.

**_"Would you mind if I stayed here, with you?"_**

_You sounded so sad, but I could also feel the hope inside of you. Who are you? What do you mean to me? No...to me and to Roxas? To us..._

"She does seem familiar, and I don't mean because she looks like Kairi and Naminé," Axel ventured slowly, as if reluctant to say what he thought exactly.

"I wish I could tell you more, but Naminé and Riku think it's best if we all just let things happen naturally and remember for ourselves," Roxas said regretfully, shaking his head. "Then again, even if I wanted to tell you more, I couldn't. Everything I've just said about Xion is all we really know."

"You two...you were always causing me so much trouble."

"Wait...what?" Roxas asked curiously, gazing at Axel with the strangest look on his face.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I dunno where that came from either..."

Sora had no idea what he was thinking, but all of a sudden he felt a need to speak, and taking a deep breath he stepped in front of Axel and said, "Please don't hold back, Axel. Promise."

Axel stared at him, _really_ looked at him, into his eyes for the first time since waking up beneath the monument on Sunset Hill, and Sora held his breath, waiting for something to happen.

What, he did not know, but...something.

**_"Somebody up there must be sad..."_**

Sora wasn't quite sure why he felt so hesitant being in Axel's presence, but regardless of the reason, the feeling wouldn't go away. Perhaps it was because he felt guilty and responsible for everything that had happened to Roxas, but most of all he was sure it was because he had no idea how Axel really felt about him, or what the red-haired Nobody really thought of him. It was almost as if he expected Axel to blame him, and really, in his mind, the red-haired Nobody had every right to. Axel, Roxas, and her. Xion. He was the reason their lives had been torn apart...

"Sora, what..." Roxas trailed off, looking a little bit uncertain of himself.

"You remember, don't you?" Sora asked quietly, ignoring his Nobody's interruption and keeping his attention focused on Axel. "They were _her _words.

"For the good of everyone. Right," Axel snorted, and then jumped in surprise at his own words. "For the good of everyone..."

"Axel?"

"I'll always be there to bring you back," Axel replied, his words so soft Sora just barely heard them. "She _was_ one of us. Number XIV. Our friend..."

It was strange to see Axel being so serious, and Sora found himself unable to look away from those brilliant green eyes boring into his soul.

"You remember her?" Roxas asked excitedly, causing both of them to jerk around and stare at the blond Nobody in slight confusion.

"Not really. Just flashes, I guess," Axel admitted reluctantly, shaking his head at himself. "You know, this is really starting to bug me. I'm the one who never forgets anything. What a disgrace. That's more _your_ style, Roxas."

"Oh, thanks! When are you going to let that go already?"

"Never," Axel smirked, poking the blond Nobody affectionately in the shoulder. "You're such an easy target. Can't let a good opportunity go to waste."

"You're one to talk. Guess even the best of us forget things once in a while. Got it memorized?" Roxas teased, giving the red-haired Nobody a light push.

"Hey, that's my line!"

"You two are so silly," Olette laughed, throwing up her hands in a kind of hopeless gesture at their antics. "No wonder Hayner fits in so well with you guys."

"Hey, I heard that, you know!"

"Xion...I wonder..." Axel said slowly, once again focusing on the conversation at hand. "If she _was_ one of us, and all evidence seems to point to that conclusion, then she would have lived at the castle with us, but I don't remember Xemnas or any of the others ever mentioning her. Even Saix, and he's the one who looked after our missions and-"

"Saix hated her!" Roxas snapped, his sapphire eyes flashing. "He thought she was nothing but a tool! A piece of garbage!"

**_"Xion is one of us."_**

**_"A puppet, one of us? Don't be absurd. Count the seats.__ When have we ever been more than thirteen?"_**

_Roxas..._

For a moment, everybody just stood there, not quite knowing what to say, and then Roxas clapped his hands over his mouth, shocked by his own outburst. "Sorry, I...I don't know where that came from."

"Don't worry about it," Axel said shortly, dismissing the golden-haired Nobody's words with a wave of his hand.

"But...it's true. I don't know how I know, but Saix...he didn't like Xion. Not like us. He treated her like she was nothing. Not like a person, but like...something even less than a tool."

"Less than a nobody in every sense of the word."

"Axel?" Roxas asked hesitantly, a frown on his face.

"He wasn't always like that."

"Huh?"

"Saix. He wasn't always so...forget it. Listen, I know you were never a fan of his, but that's all in the past now. We have to focus on the future, right? According to you guys, Xion has practically disappeared from the face of all the worlds out there, even from our own memories, and maybe she doesn't have anything to do with Twilight Town, but she could be the key to something even bigger."

"What do you mean exactly?" Hayner demanded.

"I don't get it," Roxas added, exchanging a quick look with the blond struggler.

"Look, Xion was important to you, and to me as well it seems. You said it yourself. My words to Xion. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, Roxas. Whoever she might have been, she's important to us, and that has to count for something, right?"

"Well yeah, but..."

"No doubt she's important to this whole story. To all of us, and trust me I want to find her just as much as you do. Everything that's happened...all because of one man who has many names...She's a part of it, every bit as much as the rest of us, but at the moment your first priority, if I'm not mistaken, is Twilight Town."

"So, Twilight Town first, Xion later?"

"Exactly. If you find out more about Xion along the way, so much the better, but at the moment it's best you find out what's gong on around here if you don't want Twilight Town to be swallowed up by the darkness permanently. Got it memorized?"

"Do I ever," Roxas sighed, making a face. "Sora and the others pretty much said the same thing, but we've been everywhere and...nothing. What are we supposed to do now?"

Immediately, Roxas and the rest of the party starting discussing their options, and standing just outside the circle, Sora studied his golden-haired Nobody for a moment, wanting more than anything to help Roxas, but not really knowing what to do, and it wasn't until he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder that he realized he wasn't the only one not paying attention to the current discussion.

Sora turned to look at the figure standing just behind him and without a word Axel motioned for him to follow along. He did so, though a bit reluctantly, and together they made their way over to the wooden fence behind the monument in silence, leaving Sora uncertain of what to expect.

He liked Axel. There was no question about that. What bothered him, though, was the fact that perhaps Axel did not feel the same way about him, and that made him uneasy because he knew that even if Roxas hadn't been his Nobody, he would have liked Axel regardless. To lose someone who mattered to you. That wasn't something to be taken lightly, even if you deserved it.

_He said I make him feel the same way Roxas makes him feel. Did he really mean that or did he just say it because he didn't know what else to say?_

"Feels weird being back," Axel said airily, breaking the silence. "Kind of like...I don't know...waking up from a really long nap or something."

"Yeah...I kind of know what that feels like."

Axel looked at him, and the red-haired Nobody's lips twitched into a small smile. "I guess you would."

"What you said to Roxas...about drifting in the darkness and then seeing a light in the distance...It sounds...kind of like a story I heard once before."

**_"I heard your voice. It cut through the darkness around me. All alone, I followed the sound, into a sea of light...and found myself here, with you."_**

"Really? Somebody else out there has a story possibly even more cheesy than mine?" Axel snorted, giving him an incredulous look**_. _**"Man, and Roxas had the nerve to make fun of me."

"More than once, his memories tell me. 'As long as we remember each other, we'll never be apart,' right?"

"You...really? His memories...and yours?"

"Just like he said."

"So...it was deep, right? You think it was pretty deep?"

Sora laughed and lifted his head to gaze up at the sky. "Sounds like something I would have said...and Riku probably never would have let me hear the end of it."

Axel leaned over to rest his arms on top of the fence and gazing out at something only he could see in the distance, he said, "You know...you remind me of someone I met a long time ago. You and Roxas."

"Really?"

"It's kind of hard to explain, but...it wasn't so much the way he acted...Well that too, but also...There was just something about him, the way he looked and his attitude..."

"Huh..."

"I didn't know him well or anything like that. I only met him once and after that I never saw him again, but...huh, can't believe I even remember all of this. Roxas always said I was lucky for being able to remember my past, but I don't know..."

"But...aren't your memories important to you? After what you said to Roxas about wanting to be remembered..."

"Who needs baggage when you can't find a way to make it worthwhile? To make it mean something? That's what you and Roxas did, but...I haven't been able to do that. You're the lucky ones."

"Who was that boy?"

"Huh?"

"The boy you mentioned? Who was he?"

Axel hesitated before saying, "No idea. He didn't really tell me anything about himself."

"Nothing? Not even a name?"

"Ventus."

"What?"

"That kid," Axel replied, turning to look at him. "Said his name was Ventus. Got it memorized?"

"Ventus..."

**_"You gave me something back when I needed it most. A second chance."_**

_I...did?_

_**"Thank you."**_

"Looks like your friends can't agree on what to do next," Axel said, nodding his head towards where an argument appeared to have broken out between Hayner and Riku.

"They're your friends, too."

Axel looked at him in surprise, and throwing caution to the winds, Sora took a deep breath and said, "I never got to thank you."

"Huh? For what?"

"For what you did for me, even though..."

Axel quickly held up a hand to silence him, and shaking his head, the red-haired Nobody said in what was a surprisingly affectionate tone, "Silly, you're even worse than Roxas. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even _have _a best friend."

"But...I'm sorry, Axel. It's _because _of me you almost lost your best friend..."

"Stop."

It was only one word, and a simple one at that, but it was enough to make Sora snap his mouth shut to prevent himself from saying something really stupid.

"I don't need an apology," Axel said shortly, refusing to let Sora speak, even if he had wanted to, which he had no intention of doing. "I was the one who needed to apologize to you. I told you, the past is the past. It isn't going to help you if you don't use it to make a new future for yourself. You've done that and so has Roxas. There's nothing more to be gained from dwelling on something neither you or I can change."

"I know that. It's just..."

"If you really want to make it up to me, there_ is_ one thing you can do."

"What's that?"

Axel looked at him again, and smiling, he said playfully, "Watch over Roxas for me and do what you can to keep him safe. I'll do whatever I can, too, but it'll be easier for me if I have some help. If anything were to ever happen to him again, I might just have to slice you up with my chakrams, and I _really_ wouldn't want to have to do that, seeing as how I kind of like you and all. Got it memorized?"

Sora smiled and beaming at the red-haired Nobody, he said, "Definitely. Thanks, Axel."

"What are friends for, right?"

Gazing at the red-haired Nobody, it was then that Sora realized he'd had nothing to fear all along, and for the first time since Axel's death he truly felt like everything was going to be okay.

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"

Sora whirled around at the sound of his Nobody's voice, but before he had a chance to answer, Axel smiled mischievously and said, "You."

"Uh...oh..." Roxas blushed, his transparent cheeks somehow managing to turn a rosy shade of pink, and quickly regaining his composure, he said, "Um...is everything okay?"

Sora beamed at his Nobody. "Yeah, everything is great!"

"Couldn't be better," Axel agreed, and Sora smiled when he felt the red-haired Nobody's arm go around his shoulders.

Roxas glanced between the two of them and then his sometimes somber face broke out into a brilliant smile. "You guys..."

"So, what's going on?" Axel asked, nodding his head towards the rest of the party, all of whom were still arguing.

"No idea. Nobody can seem to decide what to do next. I gave up. It's not like they were listening to me anyways."

Sora quickly put a sympathetic arm around Roxas' shoulders, and smiling at the golden-haired Nobody, he said, "Well then, we'll just have to get their attention."

"Allow me to do the honours," Axel smirked, summoning his chakrams.

Without waiting for a response, Axel threw one of his chakrams at the arguing group, and it went spinning right through the centre of bodies, forcing Hayer, Donald, and Riku to leap backwards to avoid having their faces sliced, diced, and burned off all in one go.

"Axel!" Roxas groaned, slapping a hand against his forehead. "Those things are dangerous, you know! You could hurt somebody doing things like that!"

"Hey, it got their attention, didn't it? Besides, I knew they'd get out of the way in time. They're not your friends for nothing, you know."

"What's up, Sora?" Kairi asked, running over with the rest of the party on her heels.

"We need to figure out what we're going to do next."

"What about you, Axel?" Olette asked curiously. "What are you going to do now that the Organization doesn't exist anymore?"

"I'm going wherever Roxas is going, I guess."

"What? Really?" Roxas gasped, his sapphire eyes lighting up with sudden excitement.

"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do, and besides, I'm just as curious as you are to know about Xion and Twilight Town."

"But-"

"Wherever you're going, I'm going too. Friends have to stick together, right?"

"Axel...I...yeah. I was hoping you would say that."

"Then, let's go! Uh...where exactly are we going?"

"I don't know," Donald said slowly, giving Axel a suspicious look. "He'll stand out a lot."

"Gawrsh, but so do we, and so do Roxas and Naminé, since they look like ghosts."

"You and I are different! And I know about those two, but at least they can still merge with their original selves to be discreet. What if we need to go back to Destiny Islands? Can you imagine going back there with_ him _in tow?"

"He's got a point there," Kairi agreed, smiling in amusement, "especially if Axel decides to stick around after all this is over. Where are we going to hide a creepy guy with flaming red hair who walks around in a black coat all day?"

"I'll have you know, Miss. Princess of Heart, I look quite stylish in this outfit," Axel said with dignity, straightening to his full height and crossing his arms over his chest. "You have to say one thing for the Superior. He sure had style. Plus, your hair stands out every bit as much as mine does."

"Plus, no one in Twilight Town ever cared when they saw us in dark coats," Roxas added.

"Okay, fine," Kairi relented, pointing her finger at Axel, "but on one condition. Just be discreet and don't bother Tidus, Selphie, and Wakka."

Axel's shoulders drooped slightly and he let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, there goes all my fun."

"You...do plan on sticking around, right?" Roxas asked hesitantly, unable to look at his friend.

"I meant what I said, Roxas. Wherever you're going, I'm going too. Just try to stop me this time."

Roxas looked like he wanted to say a million things, but instead he just put an arm around his friend and smiled at everyone, his thoughts written plainly on his face.

It was a smile that could light up a thousand dungeons, and it made Sora feel warm inside. He had never seen Roxas smile quite like that before, and it felt good to know his Nobody was happy, despite what may or may not await them in the future.

"Hey, Sora, any suggestions on where to go?" Riku asked, glancing over at him. "You're the only one we haven't heard from yet."

"What am I? A nobody?" Axel said indignantly, pun clearly intended.

Sora was about to answer when the sudden rumble of wheels moving quickly over the tracks below Sunset Hill caught his attention, and turning to gaze over the wooden fence, his breath caught in his throat. There was a train moving along the tracks, but it wasn't one of the ones that regularly pulled into Sunset Station. This one looked slightly different, and there was something familiar about it that immediately captured Sora's attention.

"The ghost train," Pence whispered in awe.

Everybody looked at him, and he said quickly, "You know, the Seven Wonders of Twilight Town."

Sora continued to gaze at the train and shaking his head, he said slowly, "That's no ghost train."

"We have to get to the station quickly!" Donald quacked, waving his staff towards Sunset Terrace.

"Huh? Why?" Hayner stuttered, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Sora smiled and said, "We might not know what to do next or where to go, but...I think I might know someone who does."

"A-hyuck, but before we can figure that out we need to catch that train!" Goofy informed the Twilight Town trio.

Without another word, Sora quickly raced back down the hill and ran towards the station, the rest of the party almost stepping on his heels. As one, they all crowded into the station and turning to look at the Twilight Town trio, Sora said, "Listen, guys..."

"You're leaving again, aren't you," Hayner interrupted, not sounding the least bit surprised.

"We're going to find out what's happening to Twilight Town and we're going to fix it," Roxas said fiercely, gazing at each of his three friends in turn. "I promise you."

"Of course you will," Hayner snorted, punching Roxas lightly in the shoulder. "If you didn't you wouldn't be you. Give whoever is causing all this trouble a good whack with your Keyblade from me!"

"Stay safe, all of you," Olette pleaded.

"Only if you guys promise to do the same," Roxas said stubbornly, his handsome face twisting with worry. "It's dangerous here right now in Twilight Town so...watch yourselves."

"We will," Pence assured him, "and we'll make sure Seifer and the others do the same."

"Take care of yourselves," Olette added.

"We'll see you soon," Hayner said confidently, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

As if on cue, the train they'd been waiting for suddenly pulled into the station and Sora turned to the Twilight Town trio for a final goodbye. "Maybe sooner than you think. See you guys."

"Ready, Roxas?" Axel asked, giving his best friend a surprisingly sympathetic smile.

"Ready."

Roxas quickly finished saying goodbye to his three friends and following behind the golden-haired Nobody, Sora made his way onto the train with not only Roxas, but also Axel, Riku, Kairi, Naminé, Donald, and Goofy.

They all waved to Hayner, Pence, and Olette until the Twilight Town trio were no longer in sight, and gazing out of the window at the brilliant sunset, Roxas and Riku on either side of him, Sora took a deep breath to prepare himself for what was to come, whatever that might be.

He wasn't worried. If Axel and Roxas could be reunited after everything they'd been through then anything was possible, including finding Xion, saving all the worlds just like before, and as some small part of him whispered softly inside his head, helping a lost heart find its way home again.

The End

_"There's always a way." -Aqua (Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep)_


End file.
